An alternative to porcelain veneers are composite veneers, these are built directly on to your tooth by the dentist. This means that after the planning stage, treatment can often be completed in a single visit. The material also does not require so much tooth removal as it can be used in very thin sections. Additionally if the veneer does eventually chip or your gums recede it is easy to repair it with more of the same material. If a traditional veneer breaks it has to be re made entirely which is a costly process. Composite veneers require less or no tooth drilling and so can often be placed without the need for an injection. There are also less likely to causing nerve death in a tooth. Finally they are around half the price of porcelain veneers.

Mistake 6 not addressing your uncertainty before starting

Many patients are concerned as to how they might look before treatment. It is usually possible for the dentist to preview changes to your smile for you, using photos, models of your teeth and occasionally by temporarily placing material direct on to your teeth. Any cosmetic treatment it is a big commitment and it is important that you feel right about things before you actually start. If you are not sure then don't rush things, take your time and be certain of what you are looking to achieve.

Tip ? dentists who are interested in this type of work will be happy to discuss things in lots of detail with you. They should also be able to show you a good selection of before and after photographs of similar treatments to your own.

Mistake 7 not aiming for the least amount of treatment

There are parts of your tooth where the outer layer (which contains no nerves) is very thick and can be adjusted without a problem. This can even be done without anaesthetic. Very often re-sculpting plus tooth whitening is enough to rejuvenate a worn or older smile to restore a more youthful appearance. No veneers or crowns or injections required!

Tip ? as a starting point we often suggest simple tooth whitening and are sculpts process, you can always choose to look at more complex options later.

Mistake 8 Looking under your lip!

Sound strange, but unless you use orthodontic treatment to straighten the teeth then cosmetic dentistry is trying to create an illusion for you. That illusion is that your teeth are as close to perfect as possible. So the veneers are they composite or porcelain needs to look great at social distance which is 2-3 feet away. When we look at changes to our teeth we tend to get close-up to the mirror pull our lips back and then try to see if we like it. The truth is that we don't usually walk down the street with our lips pulled back! So it is not the best way assess changes to our smile. Although it sounds crazy I promise?.you will do the same, it is just human nature. The best way to judge is by looking at a mirror at arms length or better still a photograph. This lets you see what others see when they talk to you.