Veneers

Oct 24

Veneers! Let’s get into it. I know what you’re thinking .. you forgot I even had a blog. I know! It’s been a minute. But it’s getting harder and harder for people to find content they want to come back to when if doesn’t have permanent real estate anywhere, or when they there’s no search engine to find what they’re looking for. Hopefully IG will adapt in the future and give us a search feature on reels. But for now, I’m dusting off my (real) keyboard!

Where I went

Before we get into the nitty gritty, let’s get the important stuff out of the way!

I went to Brookside Cosmetic & Family Dental, and Dr. Suter is my dentist! I’ve seen Dr. Suter for 5 years now. She is the only person I would’ve ever trusted to walk through this process with. Her attention to detail is unmatched, and her ability to make you feel comfortable is what I love about her. She is so passionate about what she does, and it shows. If you hate going to the dentist, you’re not going to the right one! Taylor sees her too, and we could not recommend her (or her office!) more.

Contact their office by visiting their website (Brookside Cosmetic & Family Dental) or calling their office at (816) 333-3711.

Their Instagram is a great resource as well!

THe backstory

Alright, let’s start from the beginning and how I got here!

When I was 11, I had braces for 3 years. I had every device in my mouth you could possibly imagine. They worked miracles on my teeth, my jaw, my bite, the whole nine yards. Fast forward about 10 years, and that’s about when I decided to stop wearing my retainer. If you have one, and you’re reading this, please wear it! My first piece of advice!

Fast forward about 4 more years, my teeth had definitely shifted, and I decided to go through with Invisalign. It took me 9-12 months, I can’t even remember exactly, but about 20 trays! My teeth were perfectly aligned, and I was so glad I did it! I highly recommend if your teeth have shifted post braces, or if you have minor alignment to do!

That bring us to about 3 years ago, where ideally, I should have been perfectly happy with my teeth. Everything was straight, and aligned, but even after the time and money spent, there were still things, cosmetically, I wasn’t happy with.

Anatomically speaking, my mouth can support a big smile, and my teeth were on the smaller side. They were just not super proportionate to my mouth. I have also ground (why does that sound so weird in this sense) my teeth from a very young age. As a shock to no one, doing that for 25 years straight leads to issues with your teeth! I was missing almost 1/3 of both of my canines because of this.

Composite bonding vs veneers

I started to research different options for the changes I was looking to make, and by research, I mean I scrolled Tiktok for hours trying to figure out what I should do/what I was trying to achieve. At one of my cleanings 2 years ago, I presented all of my research to Dr. Suter, and confidently told her I wanted composite bonding.

We had a long conversation about what my goals were with my teeth, and the ins and outs of what both options looked like, how long they would last, etc. She essentially told me that I was not a great candidate for composite bonding, for a few reasons.

Composite bonding, in general, is not nearly as permanent of a fix as veneers are. It’s more of a “quick fix”, ie: small chips and gaps. That’s not what I was looking for, and after talking with her about it at length, I am so happy I went the veneer route. Below are a few of the differences between the two!

Bonding uses resin, whereas veneers are made of porcelain or ceramic. Bonding can chip, stain, or dull over time (often within 3-5 years) while veneers last closer to 15-20 if you’re taking care of them!

Composite bonding also absorbs color from coffee, wine, tea, etc. Just like real teeth do. These are all things I drink fairly regularly, so I knew that would be an issue! Veneers are non porous, which means it maintains that bright white color, for years!

The longevity was her main concern and it was mine too. Bonding is cheaper, yes, but it does not last nearly as long, and the chances I’d need them repaired and/or replaced, were high.

When it came down to it, veneers were definitely more of an investment, but they’re going to last 3-4x as long. I was willing to pay a little bit more up front for them to be perfect, and last!

What does the process look like

In my mind, I imagined this to be a much longer and more in depth process. But truly, it was so much more minimal than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise!

Consult + Design
- Dr. Suter evaluated my smile, teeth, gums, bite, enamel health. We discussed my goals in terms of shape, size, color, etc. She took digital scans and x-rays to create a physical mock up of my teeth so I could see them in my mouth and make changes if necessary. Once we were happy with them, I scheduled my prep appt.
Prep Appointment
- When you hear people talk about getting their “temps” put on, that’s what’s happening at this appointment. Dr. Suter prepped small amount of my existing enamel — my veneers are what is considered ‘minimal prep’ which means it’s less than 1 millimeter of enamel, typically around 0.3-.0.7. They have to prep some of the existing enamel, so that there is room to add the veneer (extra material) without making your teeth super bulky.
- She took 3D scans of my teeth and sent them to the lab she uses to cerate my custom veneers.
- This is when the temporary veneers are put on to protect your teeth and give you an idea of what your veneers will look like! This is when the magic started happening and I was able to envision what they were going to look like!
Fabrication
- There is a 2-3 week waiting period while you have your temps, where the lab is creating your veneers!
Final Placement
- Dr. Suter removed the temporary veneers, and tried each custom veneer (tooth) on for fit, color, and shape. They’re then permanently cemented to your teeth with a light cured adhesive that fuses them to the enamel.
- After that, she fine tuned each tooth to perfection, and I was done!

price

The number one question I got, rightfully so! I wanted to know too.

I am speaking only to Dr. Suter’s office here — as with anything, it’s going to vary depending on where you go, who you see, and what you need done. But what I will say first, is that I so, so appreciated Dr. Suter not ever pressuring me into doing more than I wanted to do. I was pretty set on only doing 6 teeth, and she never told me I needed more than that. We did mockups of both 6, and 8, just to see what they looked like. But she never pressured me into feeling like I needed to do more, do my bottom teeth, etc. The decision was 100% mine, of course with her feedback in mind too, but this is something that stood out to me.

Price can vary slightly depending on type of veneer, and health of your teeth prior to prep, but mine were each $1500. Like I mentioned previously, this is an investment, just like with anything cosmetic. Veneers are made to be a permanent fix. The goal is not for them to last just a couple years, but for a long, long time. So when you’re thinking about the price, just know that this is a 15-20 year fix!

I decided on 6 teeth with the guidance and recommendation of Dr. Suter, but her expertise will guide you on how many veneers would be best for your goals/teeth! Everyone is going to have different goals, different starting points, etc. But my point in telling you that is so that you don’t automatically think getting veneers means you have to get all 24 done. You definitely don’t! Again, something I loved about Dr. Suter and my consult with her.

Pain?

Another FAQ was about pain. You guys, transparently, there was next to zero pain, at all. The only thing I can compare it to is botox/filler, but it hurt 10x less than either of those.

You are 100% numb for the prep and placement. They do this with a dental block, which is maybe 6 little pokes in your gums. Not painful at all, a tiny little pinch! After that, you don’t feel a thing.

Something, else I was really worried about was sensitivity. My teeth are very sensitive, so I was worried this might get worse with veneers. The only issue I had, was right after the veneers were placed, it had affected my bite slightly, so one of my top teeth was slightly hitting my bottom tooth wrong, causing some sensitivity. Dr. Suter fixed it in about 10 seconds and I’ve not had an issue since!

Like I mentioned, because these are ‘minimal prep’ they take very, very little enamel off of your teeth. Which was a big reason I ended up feeling comfortable enough to go through with this. It’s not at all what I had envisioned. Veneers have come a long way!

The final result

Obviously doing something like this comes with some nerves, rightfully so! It’s a big financial decision, and veneers are permanent, so you want to love them!

I knew Dr. Suter would do the most incredible job, but I love them more than I could’ve possibly imagined. I had told her from day one, my biggest concern was that they look natural. We all know people that have veneers that scream, veneers. That is what I wanted to stay away from. I wanted an enhanced smile, but one that people would never think is not my natural smile. She nailed it. I truly don’t think anyone would know they’re not my teeth, unless I said something. Or published a blog for hundreds of thousands of people to read!

I am as type A as they come, so I could not be more appreciative of a dentist who is the same way. She spared no detail when it came to making them perfect, in every way. I got exactly what I was looking for, and I could not recommend her, or her office more.

You guys know I only recommend people and providers I trust whole heartedly, and this was not a decision I took lightly (which is why it took me 3 years to pull the trigger, it’s a big deal!) but if you are considering veneers at all, she has my stamp of approval and comes as my highest recommendation for cosmetic dentistry of any kind.