Veneers Or Bonding: Which Is For You?

What is it that you hate most about your smile? If you’re like a lot of our patients it isn’t something major – maybe a discolored tooth, or one that’s slightly out of alignment. Maybe you have a gap in your teeth, some uneven enamel, or a chip. The patients we see at our Carmel office are all confused about how easy it is to solve these sorts of problems – many in as little as one visit!

Cosmetic dentistry doesn’t need to be all about taking years to find a solution. For many minor issues treatment takes no time at all! At Really Smile we want to make you love the teeth you have. If cosmetic issues like these are bothering you we can offer two amazing and fast solutions: cosmetic bonding and porcelain veneers!

What Are Bonding And Veneers?

These two treatments are both aimed at correcting minor cosmetic issues that don’t require serious repositioning of your teeth or changing your bite. Gaps, chips, discoloration, misshapen teeth, and uneven enamel are all things we can solve with bonding and veneers.

While they have similar purposes these two treatments are both very different. There are advantages and disadvantages to both and we want to help you figure out which one is for you!

Cosmetic Bonding

By far the most affordable of the two options, cosmetic bonding uses composite dental resin to reshape, recolor, and perfect your teeth. This resin is the same material that we use in our tooth-colored fillings and is a great way to get a natural, lifelike look!

Bonding is also a great choice for patients who don’t want a lot of enamel-removing prep work done in order to look better. All we need to do is slightly roughen the surface of your teeth before placing the resin composite directly on your teeth! It goes on soft and we reshape it into the desired look right in place. Once we get the look you want we’ll harden it with a special light and you’ll be ready to show off your new smile! All of that in just one visit – you’ll have a new look in just a few hours!

Cosmetic bonding can last anywhere from three to ten years. It has a shorter lifespan than veneers but can be repaired easily if damaged. By the ten year mark bonds have usually become a bit worn and discolored so we’ll remove them and add new ones if you’d like to keep up your new smile.

Porcelain Veneers

Veneers are the premium option for patients who really want to invest in great results. They’re more costly than cosmetic bonding but you’ll really be amazed at how dazzling they can make your smile! Veneers are made from wafer-thin dental porcelain that is specially designed to be strong and stain-resistant. They’re fabricated separately from your teeth and need to be done in a dental lab. For that reason your veneer placement will take a couple of appointments.

At your first appointment we’ll remove a thin layer of enamel from your teeth. This is done to help your veneers stay in place better and to remove any bump or seam that could appear between the veneer and your natural teeth.

After we reshape your teeth we’ll take an impression which the lab uses to design your veneers. At your second appointment a few weeks later we’ll place them and then you’ll be ready to live with a great new look!

Veneers can last for decades and are incredibly good at resisting stains – your smile will be bright and beautiful for years to come! Veneers are strong but in the event of a chip or damage they’ll need to be completely replaced. Those drawbacks are minor and damage is rare – they’re still overwhelmingly the best option!

It’s Your Choice!

No matter which method you choose we’re confident you’ll love your new look! Our porcelain veneers and cosmetic bonding have both been providing amazing results for our patients for years and yours will be no different!

To start your journey toward a great new smile give us a call today! You can reach Really Smile in Carmel by calling 317-597-8748 or you can request an appointment by filling out our online form. We look forward to seeing you soon!