Teeth Lamination in Singapore
When Singaporeans think of lamination, we’d probably think about putting a certificate in a plastic wrap.
In dentistry, the concept remains similar. We put a dental veneer over your teeth to make up for the flaws in colour, shape and alignment.
Colour
Improving colour of your teeth generally starts with teeth whitening, but some stains do not respond to treatment.
In this case, we can use a veneer to cover the stained tooth and ensure uniformity of colour among your teeth.
Alignment
Lines that gradually taper look pleasant.
Lines that suddenly jut up and down look stark.
Further to that, regular-spaced gaps between teeth also create a pleasant appearance.
Veneers can create a more pleasant visual aspect of your teeth by smoothing lines and creating uniform gaps.
Shape
Uniformity and symmetry create harmony in your smile.
Sometimes, due to damage or genetics, we have teeth that don’t mirror well.
In this case, a veneer can create symmetry and uniformity.
How do dental veneers work?
Dental veneers are shells that we place on the front of your teeth. They are thin and we customise every dental veneer to match your dental profile.
Teeth lamination represents an important aspect in developing a confident smile because you might be born with teeth that aren’t perfect. You might also have teeth that cannot be revitalised or repaired. Some examples include,
- You have heavily-stained teeth due to habits like coffee drinking, eating curries or smoking. These stains fail to respond to teeth whitening.
- You chipped or broke your teeth due to an accident or hard biting
- You were born with misaligned, uneven or misshapen teeth
- You grind your teeth while sleeping, leading to unevenness
Teeth Lamination Provides Renewal
As dentists, it’s easier for us to remove material than to create material, especially when cosmetic considerations are involved.
Think of it this way – if your front teeth are chipped, it’s challenging to make touch-ups because the touch-ups have no surface area to hold on to. Furthermore, repairs will stand out because of their distinct colour.
Teeth lamination provides a one shot, “one times good one”, way of fixing your colour, shape and alignment issues.
We broadly do teeth lamination in three steps: examine, customise, complete.
Dental veneers help you cover up cosmetic imperfections in your teeth. Here’s the process.
Examination
At your first visit, we will examine the best way to create harmony in your smile.
Customisation
Between appointments, a dental laboratory will create your customised dental veneer.
Perfection
At your second visit, our dentists will apply a special cement to bond the veneer onto your teeth.
During your first visit, we will examine your teeth and if we determine that your smile will improve through dental lamination, then we’ll proceed to do the necessary preparation like cleaning, repairs, scans and sending the order to our lab.
Once those veneers come back from the lab, we will invite you for a second visit where we will bond these veneers to your teeth.
Teeth Lamination Has Limitations
At Gentle Smile Dental Studio, teeth lamination represents a single tool in our smile makeover toolkit.
Once we examine you, we will explain how we’d attempt to rejuvenate your smile. For example, while teeth lamination can solve mild misalignment, we might recommend Invisalign for more severe misalignments.
In the same vein, we might suggest a chairside whitening treatment if your stains can be managed using this quicker method that requires no modification to your teeth.
We might also determine that your dental profile isn’t suited to dental veneers. One reason is that you have a thin enamel layer. Teeth lamination requires removing some enamel, which can affect the tooth’s structural integrity, bonding strength, and sensitivity.
Care Required Beyond Teeth Lamination Treatment
Shells are permanently bonded to your teeth and therefore you will need to take care to maintain the longevity in your new smile.
You should continue practising good dental hygiene as laminates can develop decay and cavities. You should also avoid eating hard or crunchy foods like nuts because a cracked or damaged dental veneers are difficult to repair or replace.
Teeth Lamination Characteristics
Here are some facts about using dental veneers in the teeth lamination process:
- Our dental veneers are made from porcelain or composites.
- They have a lifespan of up to 15 years for porcelain veneers.
- Composite veneers are more affordable with half the lifespan of porcelain veneers. We use them in less complicated cases.
- Each veneer costs $700 – $2,000. A smile makeover takes several veneers.
- A typical veneer is between 0.5 to 1 mm in thickness, with the thinnest veneers being 0.2 to 0.3 mm.
Your journey starts here.
