Statistics have shown that annually, 599,000 veneer applications are performed with a price tag of $371.9 million (American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, 2006). That information is far from startling, as white teeth and a beautiful smile are attributes that can help individuals advance in their careers, social lives and general happiness levels.

Historically, those who have opted to get dental veneer as a way to get a great looking smile have selected options complete with flawless looking teeth, but that is changing as natural looking teeth are now in demand. According to the New York Times, the trend is especially popular for individuals with cash to burn. That may be a necessity as the process of getting natural looking fake teeth require the skills of a “master ceramist” and can cost $1,600 to $2,500 per tooth. The prices for standard dental veneers start at about $700 per tooth.(http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/fashion/21SKIN.html)

About Veneers

Dental veneers are a thin, porcelain shells that are permanent affixed to existing teeth in order to achieve cosmetic dentistry goals. The application of the devices is a non-invasive dental producer that can near-instantly help whiten, straighten or reshape teeth. The process of getting porcelain dental veneers typically involves two to three dental office visits and the efforts of a qualified dentist. The steps involved are:

• Initial dentist visit to discuss the costs and procedure. Dentists do not typically allow patients with declined oral health to jump directly to getting dental veneers and the following stages only apply to those in good dental health.
• After a master plan has been developed, an appointment will be dedicated to prep work where the dentist will remove a fine layer of tooth surface to prepare the space for the new veneer. The process may involve both x-rays and dental impressions for the sake of accuracy. Upon the conclusion of this visit, temporary veneers may be affixed until the final product is returned from the lab.
• The final appointment can only occur once the lab has returned the veneers. At that time, the fake teeth will be cosmetically bonded to real teeth.

Some varieties of dental veneers can be made and applied in one office visit. However, porcelain is considered to be the best type of material for the job and the application of the devices can strengthen a patients real teeth and can last as long as 10 to 30 years.

Natural Looking Dental Veneers

In the past, both dentists and patients favored flawless looking dental veneers that mimicked Hollywood-type smiles. The tide has turned and more dentists are now offering teeth featuring realistic flaws, grooves, colors and shapes. The New York Times reported that the trend is growing in popularity as more people are looking for a “subtle forgery that looks inconspicuously better than the real thing,” (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/fashion/21SKIN.html)

The craftsmanship and detail required of the natural looking teeth has created the price discrepancy within the industry. The dental ceramists specializing in the craft work diligently to create natural looking veneers with imperfect features such as slightly overlapping teeth, color graduation with a hint darker shade near the gum line and putting in texture and grooves similar to real tooth enamel. It is that additional attention to detail that the natural looking veneers cost more.

Cosmetic Dentist Selection Tips

Individuals looking to get natural looking dental veneers need to ensure that they find a cosmetic dentist up to the task. After that, a person needs to schedule consultations with the dentists they are considering and ask to see their portfolio of dental veneer work. A patient needs to review the photos and discuss the dentist’s ability to provide natural looking dental veneer.