Veneers FAQ

Your journey toward a beautiful smile begins with a consultation with Dr. Twersky to determine what your goals are and how they will be achieved.

Normally, it takes three appointments to complete the procedures. This could involve one tooth or many depending on your goals.

Our team will determine whether x-rays are necessary to evaluate your condition. Dr. Twersky will explain the procedures to you and together, a plan of action will be mapped out.

Impressions are another tool that will aid in beginning the treatment and getting an accurate model to begin your journey. These models will be sent to our laboratory that will construct your veneers.

You and Dr. Twersky will determine if anesthesia will be necessary for preparing your teeth.

After your veneers arrive in our office, your appointment begins with Dr. Twersky placing the veneers on your teeth (this could involve several adjustments) and when they are satisfactory to you and Doctor, the procedure to permanently place and cement the veneers begins.

Your teeth will be cleaned, polished and etched to prepare the surface for cementation. The shade of your veneers can be adjusted with the shade of cement used to bond your new teeth. When you and Dr. Twersky are satisfied with the look, a specialized light will be applied to each tooth treated; this activates the cement to harden and cure for a quick bond.

The final step to your bonding appointment is to remove any excess cement, evaluation of your bite and making any final adjustments to the shape of your veneers.

A follow-up appointment will evaluate the condition of your gums, the response of your bite and the veneers’ placement. Your smile and the positive response of your gums are the ultimate goals to achieve the perfect appearance.

It is a relatively simple, painless, and cost-effective way to greatly improve a smile. Dental veneers can cover up problems such as having gaps in your teeth, some that are misaligned, individual teeth that are misshapen, and others that are worn down, chipped, and cracked, or discolored (naturally or due to consuming certain foods and beverages). You may just feel that your teeth either seem too short (not giving you a full smile) or too long (resulting in a toothy smile). Veneers can also improve your bite, so it is easier to chew and to keep your oral health in tip-top shape. Make an appointment to find out if veneers would help give you that winning smile which will boost your confidence in your personal life and career.

Wilshire Smile Studio can match anyone’s shade, with the help of the best laboratory technicians who will craft the veneers to your exact specifications. You may not feel you need to have veneers beyond the upper and lower front few teeth that show when you smile, but you want to have them gleam like a Hollywood celebrity. Or you may want veneers on the troubled ones that are so natural-looking and translucent that no one would know you weren’t born with them. You are in complete control of the solution to any smile that could use an upgrade.

Most patients do need some professional whitening because of the staining caused by coffee, tea, red wine, certain mouthwashes, taking the antibiotic tetracycline, smoking, or just aging. Also, if a tooth root has died, it will be dark and may show through the veneer, or if it was treated, the enamel may no longer adequately mask the yellow dentin underneath. Natural teeth should be whitened to the color chosen for veneers, then let the whitening settle in before finalizing the shade before fabrication by the dental lab. Veneers can maintain their color for as long as 10 years, starting with choosing the right material (Wilshire Smile Studio specializes in biocompatible porcelain, rather than inferior products some other practices use). Of course, you need to continue to brush all your teeth twice a day and floss once, as well as have our hygienist clean your teeth and gums every six months. Over-the-counter whiteners do not affect the color of your veneers, but they can help natural teeth maintain the same shade.

In the first weeks after placement, you should be careful about eating foods such as popcorn, hard candy, apples, nuts, seeds, or hard biscuits. You should completely stop nail-biting, chewing on pens, pencils, or eating utensils, opening bags with the teeth that have veneers, or pulling on clothing or gloves with your teeth. Also, if you sometimes grind your teeth when you sleep, have Wilshire Smile Studio provide you with a custom night mouthguard.

The veneers we specialize in are thin slices of dental porcelain that are bonded to the front of teeth. Done right, they are one of the best ways to subtly, but effectively change an imperfect smile into the one you have always dreamed of. Very few people are born with an ideal smile. Some teeth are a bit crooked, but not worth getting orthodontic braces to correct. Others appear too small, too long, or misshapen compared with neighboring teeth. Or they may just be naturally darker or more yellow than the gleaming smiles you see not only on TV, in films, and on billboards, but in offices and on the streets of Southern California. Then there are cracks and chips that can occur from sports or auto accidents and the ground-down teeth due to tension during sleep (known as bruxism). But perhaps the biggest reason veneers are in so much demand as the first step in a cosmetic smile makeover is that we all drink a lot of coffee, tea, red wine, and colored sodas, and we eat dark foods that stain our teeth. Over-the-counter and even professional whitening methods are often unable to give us a grin we can be proud of.

Wilshire Smile Studio only offers the best quality of cosmetic porcelain that is strong, biocompatible, and looks just like your natural translucent teeth. Many other practices use an inexpensive composite resin, which might last five years, while dental porcelain, with proper care, can last 10 years or more. But the outcome depends on much more than that. We have had a tremendous amount of experience in designing personalized veneers for everyone from celebrities to employees who simply want to be able to flash a friendly smile to customers. We also work with one of the top dental laboratories to craft each set, while other practices may cut their costs (though maybe not your price) by using a discount lab. The problems that can develop in these situations include shading that does not match your natural teeth, veneers that stick out too far and look fake, others that give you an uncomfortable bite or are placed in a way that allows cavities and gum infections to thrive, and some that fall off because they were not strongly attached.

Imagine if you were eager to greet everyone with a full smile–how many need an upgrade to be able to do that with confidence? If you feel you can’t afford to do all of them, we have a variety of ways to finance your dream smile. But if you prefer, we can start with just the ones that are the most visible and need the most help, while you could just have others treated in a different way, such as professionally whitened (we can remove eight shades or more in an hour or two in the dental chair). You are completely control of your customized smile redesign and it starts with a full dental exam, so call Wilshire Smile Studio today to set an appointment.