Pinoy Dentist

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No one knows how important a killer smile is better than TV celebrities in the Philippines. It is only natural since they need that perfect beam to make it to the industry’s A-list. But did you know that you can achieve that same celebrity smile yourself? How? With dental veneers, of course.

Dental veneers (or porcelain veneers), according to WebMD, are custom-made, wafer-thin shells made of tooth-colored materials. These shells improve one’s appearance by covering the front surface of the tooth, changing its length, size, shape or color.

Aside from giving killer smiles like that of celebrities in the Philippines, porcelain veneers also fix common dental problems such as stains, discoloration, gaps, wearing down, chipping and misalignment. This cosmetic fix lasts for seven to 15 years.

If you want to achieve that celebrity-like smile, it usually takes three trips to your dentist to get the cosmetic procedure done. The first visit is for consultation and the other two are for the application of the dental veneers.

• Consultation – the first visit involves your dentist getting X-ray and impressions of your teeth. This is where your dentist will discuss the cosmetic procedure and ask you about the goal you want to achieve for your teeth.

• Preparation – in this phase, your dentist will remove about half a millimeter of your tooth’s enamel. This is also the same size as the veneer that will be applied on your tooth. The dentist then gets your tooth’s impression to be sent to a dental laboratory, where your veneer will be made.

Since it will take two to four weeks to make the actual porcelain veneer, you will be given a temporary veneer to mask the tooth where enamel was removed.

• Bonding – once the veneer is made, your dentist will then fit it on your tooth. He may remove and trim the veneer to fit properly, then clean, polish and etch your tooth for the final bonding process. Once the veneer is permanently cemented, your dentist may ask you to return after a few weeks to check how your gums are responding to the veneer.

While dental veneers are a way for celebrities to achieve a killer smile, others see the treatment as more than that. In the Philippines, the cosmetic procedure is getting popular among college students and fresh grads. They see the procedure as a self-confidence booster, preparing themselves to the corporate world that awaits them after graduation.

More than the superficial things dental veneers offer, the cosmetic treatment gives you an edge to shine brighter in many ways possible. Visit your dentist soon and slay the competition with the perfect celebrity-like killer smile.