Of all the dental treatments, veneers are among the least invasive. For this reason, pain is often a non-issue—at least, when compared to treatments such as dental implants or wisdom teeth extraction. Nevertheless, if you find yourself wondering, ‘do veneers hurt?’, it’s a legitimate concern. After all, the veneer process does eventually take place inside your mouth. So, let’s unpack this concern! We’ll cover the entire veneer process, starting with the veneers’ preparation and finishing with their final application in the mouth. Aren’t your teeth just aching with curiosity?
Why get veneers?
Veneers are a fairly easy fix for dental issues such as gap-toothedness, crookedness, or discolouration. Composed of either porcelain or composite resin, these thin shells cover your front teeth to give you your dream smile. Sometimes, Invisalign or braces aren’t the best options—or teeth are so discoloured that not even professional teeth whitening can help. These are the times when you may turn to veneers.
Porcelain or composite resin?
When getting veneers, you have two options: porcelain or composite resin. Of the two, porcelain tends to be more durable and a closer aesthetic match to a natural tooth. It also has the perk of being stain-resistant. Composite resin is still a great option, and it’s popular among first-timers. It can be less permanent than porcelain, which does involve trimming enamel from the teeth.
Porcelain veneers are laboratory-made and your dentist will bond them to your teeth. If you’re opting for composite resin veneers, your dentist will layer the resin onto your teeth.
Porcelain veneers process
At your first appointment, your dentist will trim a small portion of the enamel from your teeth. This irreversible action is to make way for your new veneers. Traditionally, the next step would be to take a dental impression, but the rise of new technology has brought us intra-oral scanners, which take a digital scan of the mouth’s interior. This method is a painless and less invasive way to give your dentist the spatial data they need. Once they’ve completed the scan and determined your natural tooth colour, your dentist will send this information to the laboratory. This will inform your veneers’ final form.
At your second appointment, your dentist will remove your temporary veneers (if they installed them at your first appointment). They will then examine your new veneers to verify they’re the perfect fit for your mouth. From there, they will bond the veneers to your teeth. To cement your smile, your dentist will ‘cure’ your veneers for 60 seconds using a special light. How are veneers applied? Now you know!
Do veneers hurt?
Now, to address the major question, veneers shouldn’t hurt. Your dentist may offer you numbing treatment throughout the veneer process, which should prevent any sort of pain. Moreover, most patients report no pain post-procedure. Having said that, patients on the receiving end of eight or more veneers may experience gum or jaw soreness. This is usually nothing that over-the-counter medications can’t relieve, though.
Sealing the deal
If you’re curious about veneers, you may like to have a chat with the folk at Ashburton dentist We have porcelain veneers in Ashburton, as well as composite veneers in Ashburton. Call us on (03) 9885 2712 or book an appointment online to start the conversation. We can’t wait to help you unlock your perfect smile with porcelain or composite veneers in Ashburton!
