Getting Veneers + Q&A

A few weeks ago I did something that I had been wanting and putting off for a very long time… I got veneers! Now, I know there were a lot of questions as to why I was getting them done, who was doing them, etc. So, I wanted to put together a full blog post about my reasoning for getting veneers, as well as answer your questions.

My Veneers Story

Since I was a little girl, I’ve always been self conscious of my teeth. My parents worked really hard, but with 8 kids, they just couldn’t justify the cost of braces especially when my teeth were TERRIBLE.

Fast forward to age 28, when I went on an epic snowboarding trip with all the best powder. After a couple days, I was getting pretty daring and went off of a big jump and I caught a ton of air . Although I LANDED IT, I unfortunately hit my chin to my knees and chipped my two incisor teeth flanking my two front teeth.

In order to fix those two teeth, I was forced to get crowns. I actually loved the new look as they were an improvement from my own. As some of you with crowns might know, its pretty hard to keep your teeth the same color as your crowns. So even though my crowns were made to match my original smile, over time our teeth just change color and they no longer matched. On top of that, my two front teeth had shifted also. Making them inverted a bit into my mouth. The combination of them leaning inwards in my mouth, and them already being a little darker than the surrounding teeth, made my two front teeth look significantly darker, especially in pictures.

Veneers vs. Invisalign

Last year I went to see an orthodontist about getting Invisalign. It would take me 2 years, plus a bunch of the weird bumps and rubber bands to get my mouth at its optimal look.

Honestly, I debated over Invisalign and veneers since my ortho appointment 2 years ago. Even with the Invisalign though, my teeth would still not match and they would be different lengths (though straight).

Ultimately I decided veneers were the route for me. I replaced my front 6 teeth (2 crowns already), that way, my whole front smile would be nice and bright and the same length. After seeing my friend Mallory and Jenn’s new smiles, I knew I had to have the veneers. Craig (Mallory’s hubby) is SO GOOD. He is one of the few dentists in the nation that can do veneers in one day. So no temporaries needed (a huge bonus).

He really is an expert at what he does. He asked me what kind of smile I wanted…a Hollywood smile? What shape? super white? I told him I wanted my same teeth just straightened and white and that’s exactly what he did.

A lot of people that get veneers really go in shock for a few days until they get used to their new smile. NOT ME… I HONESTLY felt like myself, JUST BETTER! I can say with certainty, I HAVE NO REGRETS.

NOW HERE ARE ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED. I hope my experience and story helps some of you out there decide what’s best for you! I can’t stop smiling, I am so happy!

Getting Veneers Q&A

What did you not like about your real teeth? Why veneers?

My teeth were never straight and I never had braces. Add on top of that my snowboarding incident where I chipped my two incisors and needed crowns. Plus with my two front teeth inverted and the fact that my teeth no longer matched my crowns, I knew I wanted to fix my smile in some way. In the end, it just came down to veneers vs. Invisalign.

Did they not recommend ortho? Why get veneers vs. braces? What is the benefit of veneers vs something like Invisalign?

For me, Invisalign would’ve taken almost two years to straighten everything out. And even then, my teeth would still be different lengths and different colors. Plus, I would still need those two crowns on my incisors.

Is it painful?

No- Dr. Nikolaus numbed me up real good! I didn’t feel a thing and it honestly only took 3 hours. I was shocked at how easy the process was.

How many teeth got veneers?

I replaced my 6 front teeth, including the two crowns.

Are veneers like crowns?

My new veneers are made from the same material as my old crowns. They also fully surround my entire tooth, much like a crown would. There are some veneers that only adhere to the front of the tooth, but these types usually don’t stay on forever. I am so excited that mine fully surround each tooth and will stay put!

Do they file your real teeth down before they cap them with veneers?

Yes they file your teeth down to fit the new veneer on. See photo below.

Where did you go? Who did them? Does it need to be a special kind of dentist?

My veneers were done by Dr. Nikolaus in Knoxville TN, who practices at Knoxville Dental Center- Moss Grove Location. He is one of the few dentists in the nation that can do them all in one day- no temporaries needed! Here is his office number: 865-690-2082. He is truly an expert at his craft! Before he even cut out the new veneers, we went over the entire new look to make sure it was perfect! Here is the computer image and my teeth being made in the machine.

Did it make your teeth more sensitive?

I am only 2 weeks post veneers and my new teeth are a bit sensitive still to hot and cold temperatures. Not painfully sensitive, but yes more sensitive than they were.

What was the cost?

Veneers can cost anywhere from $800-$1800 per tooth. I paid $1500 per tooth.

Is there any maintenance or upkeep?

Just normal mouth hygiene.

What is recovery like?

My gums were sensitive for about 5 days after I got my veneers installed. That was it!

Are these your temporary ones?

Nope, these are my permanent ones!

Will they need to be replaced eventually?

No, not unless you are really reckless and use your teeth to open things like soda cans or bite utensils. He also told to avoid biting my nails, but I don’t do that anyway.

Do they stain?

They do not stain. They stay nice and bright!

At the end of the day, I am super happy with my smile! I got a very natural look and no one would be able to tell I have veneers unless they looked at my before photos!

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