Very few people are lucky enough to be born with naturally straight pearly whites, but maybe your dental alignment issues are relatively minor. Whether you have a slight gap between your front teeth or a few slightly crooked teeth, you may have considered getting braces or clear aligners to address the imperfections. However, you probably don’t want to spend a year or longer going through treatment. Fortunately, minor cases of misalignment can often be corrected with veneers, also known as “instant orthodontics.” Keep reading to learn how this treatment works and whether it could be the right solution for you!
How Does “Instant Orthodontics” Work?
Instant orthodontics doesn’t look like what you’re probably picturing. Instead of shifting the positions of your teeth with metal wires and brackets, veneers create the illusion of a straight smile by concealing minor alignment concerns. Veneers are thin porcelain shells that are placed over the front-facing sections of the teeth, instantly covering any flaws and making your smile appear perfect.
While veneers are often used to correct discolored or broken teeth, they’re also great for closing tiny gaps between teeth and fixing slightly rotated or crooked teeth. Severe orthodontic problems might be better addressed with traditional braces or clear aligners. However, these treatments can take a year or longer. So, if you only have a few slightly misaligned pearly whites, you can achieve results quickly using veneers, which take a few short weeks.
Benefits of Veneers vs. Other Orthodontic Treatments
In addition to a faster treatment process, veneers have several other advantages over braces and aligners, such as:
- Being able to also hide stains, cracks, chips, and other flaws in the teeth.
- No dietary restrictions.
- No bulky, uncomfortable metal brackets and wires.
- No need to keep track of aligners.
- Minimally invasive procedure.
- Dramatic, beautiful, and lifelike appearance.
- Results that can easily last for 10 to 15 years or longer with basic aftercare.
What to Expect When Getting Veneers
With instant orthodontics, your journey to a straight smile should only take two appointments with your cosmetic dentist. After they’ve confirmed that you’re a good candidate for veneers, they’ll begin by carefully removing a small amount of enamel from the teeth to ensure the veneers sit flush against them. Then, they’ll take impressions of your mouth, which are sent to a dental lab. Temporary veneers will be placed over your teeth to protect them until your final veneers are ready. Once they arrive at your dentist’s office, the temporaries will be swapped for your permanent veneers. In total, you should only need to wait for three or four weeks for this second visit.
Instead of spending several months or years straightening your smile with braces or aligners, ask your dentist whether you could benefit from instant orthodontics with veneers. You’ll be able to smile with confidence so much sooner!
About the Practice
At Washington Dental Care, we’re dedicated to bringing Chicago patients the most comfortable and modern dentistry possible. Our dentists – Dr. Peter Hammes and Dr. Giancarlo Cecchini – have completed extensive training in various areas of dentistry, including cosmetics and orthodontics. In addition to offering clear aligners, we’re also happy to provide personalized veneers to give you a straight smile as soon as possible. To learn more about instant orthodontics, you can contact our office at (312) 766-5412.
