All it takes is one night on the Palm to notice that ~everyone~ is flashing picture-perfect veneers these days. Before we upgrade to the porcelain grill, we chatted with Dr. Tarek Hafez, Aesthetic Dentist at Apa Aesthetic, to find out everything we needed to know. Thinking of making your pearly whites a lil’ extra sparkly, bb? Then read on.
Cosmo ME: What are veneers?
Dr. Tarek Hafez: Similar to fillings, crowns and bridges, a veneer is one of many types of dental restorations. It is a conservative method of restoring a tooth, specifically the front part of the tooth that is most visible when we smile. Veneers can be made of two kinds of materials being composite/bonding or porcelain. The two materials offer different strength and aesthetic properties.
C: Are there different types of veneers?
Dr. H: Veneers can be made of two types of material, composite and porcelain. Porcelain can be categorised into Feldspathic, Emax, and Zirconia. In our lab at Apa Aesthetic, our preference is Feldspathic porcelain as it achieves the most natural look we want for our patients. However, some cases may require use of the other types of porcelain such as restoring the back teeth or if a bridge is needed.
Dr. Tarek Hafez, Aesthetic Dentist at Apa Aesthetic (supplied)
C: Can you explain the application process? How long does it take?
Dr. H: Our process at Apa Aesthetic requires two major appointments. The first appointment is where we design the smile using temporary material in the patient’s mouth. This allows us to visualise the design in the patient’s face and lets the patient experience them functionally and aesthetically. The temporaries leave room for any adjustments before finalizing the size, shape, and colour of the veneers with the patient. The lab then fabricates the final porcelain veneers based on the design of the temporaries.
The second appointment is when we insert the final porcelain veneers bonding them to the teeth. Both appointments can be completed within two to three weeks depending on the complexity of the case.
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C: Do teeth need to be shaved down during the application process?
Dr. H: Depending on the case, most cases require some minimal degree of tooth shaving. What dictates if and how much shaving is needed is the position of the teeth in the arch of the mouth and what we are looking to achieve as a final smile result. In some instances, when the teeth are protruding in the mouth we need to shave a bit more to place the veneers in the right position and avoid bulky looking teeth.
In other instances, when we need to add volume to the teeth, we would naturally shave less or avoid shaving the tooth completely. Our priority is to avoid issues such as gum swelling, bleeding, or foul odor that result from poorly placed veneers. This also applies to all other types of dental restorations.
C: How long do veneers last?
Dr. H: Veneers can last up to 15-20 years if the patient follows a disciplined daily hygiene protocol, cleaning appointment, and routine follow-ups at the clinic. Veneers are a conservative restoration that preserves the natural tooth. We need to make sure the tooth around the veneer is well-maintained and the margins between the tooth-veneer are healthy.
C: What are the downsides to veneers?
Dr. H: The only downside I see is when they are incorrectly done. That’s when I see patients come to me with some of those unfortunate events like “excessive shaving down of teeth”, “causing bad breath and gum bleeding”, and “looking fake”. These unfortunate events are not generally caused by veneers, they are a result of poorly planned and improperly placed veneers. When a tooth is treated with a faulty veneer or another type of restoration, it can’t function properly. We see problems like infected gums, bad breath, cracks in the restoration, and pain.
C: Do veneers change the way we chew food?
Dr. H: No. As a matter of fact most of the patients that come to us for treatment at the clinic have more of functional problems rather than aesthetic alone and we are able to fix that with veneers resulting in an improvement in their bite.
C: How can we avoid the “fake teeth/ denture” look?
Dr. H: We start by looking at how the smile and teeth integrate with the face. This is called Facial Aesthetic Dentistry. The mouth is the biggest structure of the face, and the lower third of the face is dominated by the lips and teeth. We follow the dynamic of the lips to design a smile that conforms with the face. The material we prefer to use is Feldspathic Porcelain which gives us the highest aesthetic resembling beautiful natural teeth.
Our ceramists layer the porcelain by hand, mimicking the layers of a natural tooth (the dentin and enamel) and its optical properties. This gives it the natural appearance rather than the white chalky veneers we typically associate with looking fake.
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C: Why do so many people get veneers that are bright white and look unnatural? Is it possible to get more natural looking veneers?
Dr. H: I believe it is a combination of lack of general dental awareness and the expense of high quality dentistry. People prefer to undergo treatments that are covered by their insurance provider or pay minimal for their dental health and treatment. Clinics that provide cheap treatments use cheaper materials with less aesthetic results. Given that lack of awareness, all that patients see is going from yellow to whiter teeth. Unfortunately, patients only start to seek quality dentistry and dental health after they encounter problems with their veneers.
A more natural look aims to restore a tooth to its correct form so it can function and appear as a natural tooth. This is achieved by healthy, good quality dentistry and high quality materials to support it.
C: Do veneers damage your teeth?
Dr. H: No. A veneer restores a tooth to its optimal shape and health. Once a veneer is functionally done correctly within the bite and bonded to the tooth, it will actually protect the tooth structure from any damage. If the porcelain veneer chips for any reason, it can easily be replaced with porcelain. The patients will have to maintain healthy hygiene to protect the natural tooth surface from bacteria effects. Porcelain does not decay but the natural tooth can.
C: Is it possible to get veneers removed if you don’t like them?
Dr. H: It is possible to remove veneers. Thanks to laser technology, they can be removed seamlessly without harming the natural tooth. However, the veneers will need to be replaced. I get this question a lot and I always give the same analogy.
When you renovate your living room, you do it for a reason. If you don’t like it, you don’t go back to how it was, you change it for something you like and feel more comfortable with. A patient that requests to remove their veneers is one that had them poorly placed to start with, functionally or aesthetically. I am yet to see someone that removed their veneers and went back to how their teeth looked before.
C: What kind of upkeep do veneers require?
Dr. H: Same answer to the question, “what should I do to maintain healthy teeth for the long run?”. It is simple. Brush your teeth twice a day (preferably an electric toothbrush), floss daily, and wear a nightguard to protect your teeth against clenching/grinding. Get a professional cleaning by our dental hygienist 3-4 times a year and an annual full check up.
C: How much do veneers cost?
Dr. H: The cost ranges between different clinics depending on the quality of dentistry, the materials used, the level of customer service given to the patient, the expertise of the dentist providing the treatment and the lab/ceramist associated with the clinic. We have our own in-house lab and ceramists that exclusively work for us. This allows us to have better communication with them to maintain consistency in the quality of our work. I set my price for a veneer per tooth between Dhs8,500-10,000.
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To schedule a consult with Dr. Tarek Hafez at Apa Aesthetic, call +971 4 709 1000.