Veneers are a quick way to get the smile you’ve always wanted. This treatment is perfect for people with teeth that have stains, chips or gaps between them. But before you and your dentist decide this procedure is right for you, it’s important to know all of the information about veneers; their cost as well as how best to care for them.
What are veneers?
A veneer is a thin piece of tooth-colored material that covers the front part of your teeth to improve their appearance. Dental professionals create these from porcelain or resin composite materials and bond them on top after you get in contact for an in-office procedure, which usually takes only about one hour.
They are custom made to fit each individual’s mouth and can be used by people with chipped or uneven teeth who want more straightness than they currently have.
Getting a dental veneer usually requires one to three trips to the dentist—and you’ll need two more for installing it. One tooth or many teeth can simultaneously undergo this process, which involves submitting an impression of your mouth’s anatomy.
Why are veneers used in dentistry?
Veneers are a less invasive way to fix your smile. They can be used as more of a temporary solution than crowns or braces and they’re also great for correcting small misalignments or gaps in teeth with minimal pain.
Veneers are a more subtle solution to tooth imperfections than crowns or braces. Veneers can be used to close gaps, correct small misalignments and improve the brightness of your teeth while straightening out issues like discoloration, fractures or chips.
Should you see a beautician for veneers?
In Singapore, all dental materials (including composites) to be used in patients’ mouths have to be licensed by the Health Sciences Authority of Singapore. These materials can only be purchased by a dentist registered with the Dental Council or a clinic approved and licensed within this country.
As a result of the increased demand for veneers, beauty salons and beauticians are increasingly using materials they bought online from sources in China. Purchasing these items directly from suppliers would require them to have relevant licenses that not many people outside of dentists themselves possess.
Most beauty patients are not aware of the different types of materials available for veneers, which means they’re also unaware if these products have been verified by safety authorities like HSA.
The lack of verification leaves you at the mercy of salon operators and therapists who may be using fake or dangerous supplies on your teeth—with no way to verify their legitimacy.
Since most patients don’t know what type of material is best suited for restorations or fillings in your mouth, many go into a treatment without knowing whether it’s even safe.
There just isn’t enough regulation when it comes down to dental care because there aren’t any international standards that govern how each country handles dentistry regulations.
More than two-thirds of beauty therapists offer composite veneers as a service but many have received only one or two days worth of training in the field. Very little is known about what material they use during these sessions, with some reports suggesting that it’s not much more than how to operate materials and equipment.
In the end, if you should decide to have veneers done in a beauty salon, it is important to keep in mind that unlike dentists, they are not health professionals bound by law and ethics. The same cannot be said for unlicensed beauticians trying to do work they aren’t qualified to do.
