Your smile is one of the most important defining features of your appearance. Every day, there will be an almost countless number of people that will see you smile, and many will judge you based upon the way your smile looks. Sadly, there are many people that have less-than-ideal teeth, but veneers offer an effective and affordable way of correcting many of the most embarrassing cosmetic issues your mouth can encounter. 

Myth: Veneers Always Require Painful Installation Procedures

Many dental procedures can be extremely uncomfortable and painful to endure. Not surprisingly, this causes many people to be leery of having corrective work done to their mouths. This is particularly true when the procedure is designed to correct cosmetic problems with the mouth. Luckily, you do not have to endure pain to enjoy the corrective benefits of veneers. 

When veneers are applied to your teeth, a thin shell of porcelain is secured to the front of the teeth using a specialized dental adhesive. In most cases, the veneers can be applied without requiring any modifications of the teeth, and this can save you from the pain of having teeth ground down and reshaped. 

Myth: A Crown Is The Same Thing As A Veneer

There are many different techniques that can be used to correct tooth damage. However, it is not uncommon for individuals to get these various procedures and prosthetics confused. For example, many people assume that a crown is another word for veneer, but this is far from the truth. 

A crown will completely cover your tooth on both the front and back. In contrast, a veneer is only applied to the front of the tooth. Typically, crowns are used when the tooth is highly weakened but not needing to be removed. By applying a crown, it is possible to protect the remaining tooth without negatively impacting the patient's appearance. 

In contrast, a veneer is strictly a cosmetic procedure, and it will not strengthen your tooth in any way. Due to this, veneers are only suitable for patients that do not have teeth that are damaged to the point of being at risk for shattering or cracking. 

Veneers can be an excellent way of improving your smile when you are suffering from major cosmetic issues. After dispelling these two common notions about veneers, you will be better able to determine if this corrective cosmetic procedure is suitable for your needs. Talk to your dentist, like those at Dentistry For the Entire Family, about your smile concerns.