Ever wondered how almost every single celebrity appears to have flawless teeth? They’re always somehow perfectly proportionate to the rest of their face. Turns out it’s not unforgiving luck or godlike genes that these people are blessed with... it all comes down to veneers.
Jean Paul Demajo of Demajo Clinic describes veneers as “thin facets, 0.7mm to 1mm thick, made of either composite resin or porcelain cemented onto the frontal visible surface of the tooth”.
Veneers are different from crowns, the tooth-shaped caps that are placed over the teeth.
Demajo explains: “A crown is a circumferential cover of the tooth while a veneer covers just the frontal surface of the tooth and maybe also the occluding biting surface.”
The process of getting veneers involves trimming slightly the front and “maybe” the biting surface of the tooth. Then one takes an impression of the tooth preparation for the veneer production in the laboratory. Once produced, the veneer is tried and cemented in the mouth.
In this way, the process is based on removing a thin layer of enamel.
“They could be a little sensitive at the beginning,” Demajo says, “but most of the time they aren’t, as the layer removed is very thin”.
He nevertheless emphasises that “the seal of the veneer to the tooth is very important. If the veneer doesn’t fit well or the cement is not the appropriate one, then this may result in tooth sensitivity”.
When asked about longevity, Demajo says that although more often than not veneers are long-lasting, this does not mean that they cannot also be somewhat damaged. For instance, composite veneers absorb stain, chipping may occur depending on diet and so can ‘de-cementation’, in which case they can be cemented again.
Having said that, Demajo confirms that very little risk is involved when getting veneers and, if done properly, they should have an 85 per cent success rate for up to eight to 10 years.
Given that the technology to get that perfect set of teeth is available locally, why is it that veneers don’t seem all that popular in Malta?
“Dentists stir away from recommending them due to our diet consisting of very hard sticky food, most of all our hard, delicious bread which can break them,” maintains Demajo.
As a last advice, he says: “In my opinion the best aesthetics for the front six-eight teeth can only be achieved with porcelain veneers. Crowns cannot give you the aesthetics veneers offer. A very good laboratory technician is also key to success in achieving the desirable aesthetic result.”
So, it appears you too can have a Miley Cyrus teeth transformation for the price ranging between €300 to €500 – not too bad for the perfect set of teeth, right? Just stay away from that bread!