Dental Veneers and Laminates

Are you wondering if dental veneers or dental laminates can solve your oral health problem? Here is the difference between dental veneers and laminates.

More than half of all Americans feel self-conscious about their teeth. So, if you feel shy when it’s time to smile, you’re not alone.

To fix your less-than-perfect pearly whites, you’re considering a couple of options: veneers and laminates. However, as you delve into the research, you’re starting to wonder what’s so different about these two treatments.

They may seem like the same thing on the surface, but there’s so much more to these dental treatments. Here’s everything you should know in the veneers vs. laminates debate — and how to decide which one is right for your smile.

What Are Dental Veneers? 

Dental veneers are probably the more widely known treatment of the two. Veneers are tooth-colored sheaths that a dentist slides on top the surface of each individual tooth. Your dentist will have to remove some of the enamel on your tooth in order to fit the veneers in place.

What Are Dental Laminates?

Interestingly, there’s not much difference between veneers and laminates. Laminates are also a thin material that goes over the top of your tooth’s surface, improving its appearance.

The only thing is, laminates are even thinner than veneers. So, they require your dentist to remove much less enamel than a veneer does.

What’s The Difference Between Veneers and Laminates?

Based on those two descriptions, you might be scratching your head. How are you supposed to choose between veneers and laminates?

Veneers are typically made of one of two types of material: composite resin or porcelain. As such, they’re much more durable than laminates, and they can be used to remedy more issues. So, a veneer can be used to improve a gap tooth or crooked teeth.

You can also use veneers to improve the appearance of small teeth — namely, a veneer can pop go over the top and make your teeth look bigger. They can cover chips and discoloration, as well.

However, if your teeth only have small chips and slight discoloration, you might want to consider choosing laminates over veneers. They require less enamel to be removed, which makes the procedure less invasive and time-consuming.

Interestingly, though, laminates tend to be more expensive than veneers. Porcelain veneers are costlier than composite ones, but the latter tend to stain easily, which makes them a less long-lasting option than porcelain.

Should I Get Veneers or Laminates?

In the end, it’s up to you and your dentist to decide which of these treatments will suit your smile best. But, in most cases, a slight upgrade to whiter, brighter teeth would mean laminates are best. Crooked teeth, gaps, deep discoloration, and major chips would be best fixed with veneers.

But before you start doing any major planning for veneers and laminates, speak to an expert in both treatments. The team at Dentistry of Thousand Oaks can guide you through these and other cosmetic procedures, as well as exams and treatments that will help you maintain your oral health. Click here to contact us today