South Africa has a great reputation for its medical and dental facilities and services. Locals have long enjoyed these benefits, with foreigners now seeing the perks as well. In the dental field, a full scale enhancement to your smile can be done in a single session, allowing you to leave the dental rooms and get right back to your holiday. A smile makeover, if you will, can be done courtesy of getting dental veneers in South Africa.

What are Dental Veneers?

Dental veneers are paper thin pieces of porcelain which are shaped to cover the front part of a tooth. At Family Dental Care, we choose to use porcelain as our material of choice for veneers. Porcelain can be fabricated to match the exact shade of teeth, so it will have a very natural look in the mouth. Furthermore, due to its natural component, there is a favourable compatibility with the rest of the mouth. The main aim of veneers is to provide an instant fix to many dental concerns.

Getting veneers in South Africa is an alternate option to going through teeth whitening treatments. You will be consulted on the shade of the veneers if you will be getting a full set. This way you have a say on the brightness. This is not an option if you are getting a single veneer, as it will have to be made to complement the rest of the teeth.

They also correct mild misalignment of teeth, negating the need to get braces. Teeth that are slightly crooked can be made to appear straighter with the correct positioning of a veneer.

Getting veneers in South Africa will also fix a gap between teeth. The veneer will be made a little bigger than the size of the teeth on either side of the gap, thereby filling it out. This as well would negate the need for braces.

Chipped teeth can also be made whole again with veneers. Usually, the remedy for a chipped tooth is to fill it out with a dental filling. This does provide a same day fix, but does not last as long as porcelain veneers would.

The Veneer Process

As far as dental procedures go, they are one of the simplest to have done so you would not have to take much time out to get your veneers in South Africa. This is not to say that you should then settle for any run of the mill dentist. Veneers are a permanent addition to your tooth, so you would want the final result to be something you are proud to show off in a smile.

The first step in the process of getting veneers in South Africa would be to ensure the teeth is healthy enough to handle it and to prep the teeth. An x-ray will suffice for the first part. It is just to ensure that there are no underlying concerns that will affect the veneer later on. If problems are found such as gum disease or tooth infections, then this will have to be dealt with first before proceeding further. The second part in the first step will be to prepare the tooth for the veneer. A veneer will not just be bonded over a tooth. This will be an uncomfortable addition as you would be able to feel it. This is why a small bit of the front portion of the tooth has to be removed to make space for the veneer. This way, it will have a snug fit and be much more comfortable. This part of the process does call for a bit of numbing with local anaesthetic so that the sharp pain emitted by the drill is not felt by the patient. The numbness will wear off after a couple of hours. An impression will be taken at this point to aid with the manufacture of a custom made veneer. You will be called back for the fitment once this is ready.

The second step is when the dentist places the veneer onto the teeth. Before this can be done, a deep cleaning must take place to ensure extreme hygiene. The tooth will be etched out a bit which will then better hold the veneer. A bonding agent is applied to the tooth which will hold the veneer in place. The dentist then ensures it is perfectly in place and removes any excess bonding material. It will take a few days for you to get used to this feeling upon which it will begin to feel normal. Follow up care is important when it comes to veneers. You would want to see your dentist again in a few days just to get their approval on the veneers being a success. The brightness of the veneer will remain throughout its lifespan. This portion will also not decay. Still, keep to a daily hygiene schedule as well as continuing to visit your dentist.

Getting Veneers in South Africa

Getting veneers is pretty much the same, the world over. Veneers in South Africa in particular need special mention, just for the pricing. On an average spectrum, veneers in South Africa are generally cheaper without compromising on quality. Finding the right dentist to fit in veneers in South Africa can be an arduous task, especially for visitors to the country. This is why you would look towards a practice which is so successful on its services that there are several branches to be found within a city. This way, you would have a greater chance of securing an appointment in an emergency at any one of their branches while still being in line to the same high level of serviceman ship and pricing. The cost of veneers in South Africa must be taken into consideration before you can get them. It is a cost you would have to bear in cash, as they are not covered on dental plans due to them being classified as cosmetic treatments. It is for this reason that  getting veneers in South Africa should be considered to have them done at, to be cost effective.