Porcelain veneers are cap-like shells that fit over the front of your teeth to improve the appearance of your smile. This cosmetic dental solution helps patients who seek long-term smile enhancement, as these fixtures cannot be removed once secured to teeth by a dental professional.

Veneers can improve oral health as well, helping your teeth in more ways than just creating a whiter, straighter appearance. Dr. Kim Westermann, a dentist in Louisville, KY, discusses three ways porcelain veneers can enhance your smile beyond cosmetic benefits.

Repair Tooth Breakage

Teeth endure a great deal of wear and tear daily without issue, but abnormal amounts of pressure can harm your teeth. Teeth can crack, chip, or break under extreme stress.

Severe damage will require restorative dental treatment, but minor cases can be fixed with cosmetic solutions like porcelain veneers. Veneers can cover these minor cracks and chips to restore the appearance of your smile.

Porcelain veneers are durable just like your normal teeth, but you should exercise caution and avoid biting down on hard objects to protect your veneers. If you grind your teeth at night, you should let your dentist know so that they can plan your treatment accordingly.

Improve Oral Hygiene Habits

Patients with crooked teeth may have trouble getting their teeth thoroughly clean while brushing and flossing due to limited access to the surfaces of overlapping teeth. Porcelain veneers give you a straighter smile so that it is easier to brush and floss your teeth effectively.

This allows you to remove plaque from spots in your mouth that may have been missed before. You can be less vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease.

Veneers are not harmed by decay but can still gather plaque that can spread to your natural teeth if left untreated. For this reason, you should continue good oral hygiene habits with porcelain veneers.

Replace Thinned Tooth Enamel

The outer layer of your tooth is called enamel and can be eaten away by plaque or gum disease if you do not practice good oral hygiene. Once enamel is gone, it cannot regrow on its own.

This leaves the inner layer of dentin exposed, which can create painful symptoms for you, like tooth sensitivity. Porcelain veneers can cover thinned or weakened enamel over the front of your teeth, replacing lost enamel. This protects the dentin and alleviates excruciating sensitivity symptoms.

Porcelain Veneers and More in Louisville, KY

Westermann Family Dentistry offers porcelain veneers and other cosmetic dental treatments to patients in Louisville, KY. Dr. Westermann also specializes in restorative and general dentistry for patients of all ages. To schedule an appointment with us, contact our office online or reach us by phone at 502.219.3168.