How Old Do You Have to Be to Get Veneers?

How Old Do You Have to Be to Get Veneers?

30th November 2022

Imagine this scenario. You have crooked or chipped teeth. Perhaps your teeth are irregularly shaped. The shape affects the quality of your smile.

You’re losing confidence because of the condition of your teeth. You avoid going to parties or any social gatherings for fear of people judging your smile.

One of the solutions to fix this problem? Dental veneers. However, you can have questions before opting for veneers.

Should I get veneers? Do veneers hurt? What are their benefits?

Don’t worry. This article will offer the answers. In the next five minutes, learn the minimum age to get veneers and much more. The article will discuss:

• At what age can you get veneers in the UK?
• When should you opt for veneers?
• What are the benefits of veneers?
• What’s the process of getting veneers?

By the time you finish reading this article, you’ll have a clear idea about veneers. Let’s begin.

Note: The information is true at the time of writing. That’s October 2022.

Minimum age to get veneers

The general rule of thumb; you should be at least 18 years old get veneers. However, you can find variations in these guidelines depending on the judgement of the cosmetic dentist and the individual development of your teeth. At Natural Smiles, we recommend delaying veneers until an older age, as younger patients can have Invisalign and whitening to improve their smile.

Why must you wait for this long? Because that’s the age when a person’s mouth stops growing. Thus, that’s the age when your teeth and bite will no longer change.

The scenario helps make the dental treatment easier and more successful because if the dentist installs the veneers too early, the veneers could leave gaps near the gum line. The scenario can leave your teeth susceptible to:

• An odd appearance
• Gum disease
• Other dental hygiene issues

Furthermore, since the treatment can’t be undone, placing veneers into growing teeth can cause serious hazards if correction is needed.

Reasons you should get veneers

Opt for veneers if your teeth are:

• Uneven
• Chipped
• Discoloured
• Irregularly shaped
• Broken
• Gapped
• Worn down
• Mildly misaligned
• Looking unsightly because of several visible white fillings which can weaken the teeth as well

Your dentist will straighten your teeth before placing veneers on the teeth. Once the veneers are in place, they can last as long as 30 years. Thus, if you’re asking, “How long do veneers last?”, you now have an answer.

Furthermore, your dentist will assess the strength of your bite and gum and the structural strength of your teeth to decide the course of treatment and know the best chances for success.

There’s no upper age limit for getting porcelain veneers. Thus, you can get the smile you want no matter your age.

Furthermore, if you have:

• Active gum disease
• Tooth decay
• A history of grinding or clenching your teeth

You’re not the ideal candidate for getting a veneer. In such cases, the dentist can suggest different treatment procedures that’d be more beneficial for you.

Benefits of veneers

Here’s how veneers before and after:

• Helps protect worn-out teeth.
• Helps correct improper spacing or gapping in teeth. Gapping generally occurs when new teeth are coming out. The new teeth push the other teeth over, resulting in gaping or improper spacing.
• Helps protect broken and chipped teeth. This is especially beneficial to you if you engage in outdoor activities or sports.
• Helps prevent discolouration of teeth. Discolouration happens mostly because of drinking staining drinks such as soda.

Furthermore, caring for veneers isn’t hard either. The dentist will share detailed instructions on how to take proper care of the veneers to help them last longer.

Furthermore, once set in their place, veneers can last as long as 30 years. Thus, you won’t have to worry about losing your perfect smile again in decades to come.

Process of getting veneers

Here’s how the process goes:

• Your dentist will do a preliminary checkup and discuss the options that are best for you. Furthermore, they will mention the number of veneers needed as well.
• If your teeth are uneven or crooked, the dentist might suggest braces before placing the veneers on.
• The dentist will take x-rays to evaluate the health of your teeth. The dentist will search for signs of gum disease and tooth decay. Furthermore, the dentist will assess if you need a root canal as well.
• On the next appointment, the dentist will trim down half a millimetre of your teeth to get accurate sizing for the veneers. They remove the teeth enamel in the process.
• The dentist will take a mould of your teeth. They will send this mould to the lab to create your veneers.
• It takes up to 2 weeks to get your veneers ready.
• Afterwards, the dentist evaluates the shape, fit, and colouration of the veneers to make sure they’re the perfect fit for you.
• Afterwards, your dentist will clean your teeth to make sure no bacteria is trapped under the veneer.
• The dentist will use a grinding tool to develop a rough texture on all the teeth on which the veneer is to be applied. The process helps the veneer to stick to the teeth without any hassle.
• Afterwards, the dentist will use dental cement to bond the veneer to the teeth.
• In the next and final step, the dentist will use ultraviolet sound to harden the dental cement within minutes.

The number of appointments and veneers can vary from person to person.

Minimum age to get veneers – They are the need of the hour

40% of all people in the UK are unhappy with the appearance of their teeth. Thus, people will opt more and more for dental veneers to fix the issue. Thus, you need to know the details before you opt for such a treatment.

Now that you know the minimum age to get veneers and other details about it, we hope the information will help you make the best decision for yourself.