715-352-2700Do you ever wonder how celebrities get their teeth to look so perfect and white?
Most likely, they had dental veneers placed or possibly resin bonding. So veneers versus resin bonding — What are those and what is the difference you ask? Let us explain.
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Veneers
To get the idea of what a porcelain veneer is, picture a fake fingernail that is glued to your real nail. A veneer is a shell of tooth colored material that gets cemented to your real tooth covering the front surface (pictured below). Your dentist will need to do some light preparation of your tooth in order to take an impression to have the veneer custom made at a lab. You will need to return to your dentist to have the veneer cemented to your tooth. Veneers can help with discolored, misshapen, and chipped teeth along with filling in any gaps that you are unhappy with, however, they can be costly, (sometimes costing as much as a cap or crown $1000+). 
Dental_veneerGenerally, they need to be replaced about every 10 years. They are stain resistant, but they can crack or chip, especially if you grind your teeth. Unfortunately, they cannot be repaired and will need to be replaced if this happens. Also, the color of a veneer won’t change. So if you bleached your teeth prior to having a veneer placed, you will need to upkeep the appearance of your natural teeth with bleaching every so often to match them with the shade of the veneer.
Resin Bonding
Resin bonding is somewhat of the same idea as a veneer, however, less preparation of the tooth needs to be done by your dentist and it only requires one visit. Your dentist will roughen up the tooth surface and place and shape a plastic material to match your teeth that gets bonded with chemicals and a curing light. The results are immediate and solve the same issues that a veneer does such as discolored or chipped teeth. It can be quite a bit cheaper than a veneer (a few hundred $’s), but you do have to be a bit more careful with things you eat and drink that can stain the resin. Unlike veneers, resin bonding can stain with time. You will eventually need to replace the bonding due to discoloration and general wear and tear. They can also chip easily if you tend to bite things with your teeth or hit it with a fork just right, but if you are careful, they should look great for a number of years.
What’s right for you?
Well, it obviously depends on your budget and you’ll also need to have a conversation with your dental provider as to what is best for your specific needs and what look you would like to achieve. If you want to change the appearance of your teeth, be sure to talk with your hygienist or dentist at Szmanda Dental. We hope to answer all of your questions to the best of our knowledge so you can make an informed decision about your dental health.