Teeth Whitening or Veneers: Which Suits Your Smile?

Of course, you can trust dentistry to brighten your whole grin. It’s well-equipped to fix all sorts of stained and discolored smiles. That said, you may not know whether to get teeth whitening or veneers. Either option would give you pearly whites that live up to their nickname. Luckily, your McComb dentist is here to help you settle things. Read on, then, to learn how whitening and veneers differ and which treatment suits you best.

How Does Teeth Whitening Work?

In essence, teeth whitening is a service that directly whitens enamel. It uses bleaching gel to remove tooth stains, ensuring your smile is up to twelve shades lighter.

Generally, teeth whitening has two major forms: in-office treatment and take-home kits. The first method requires a one-hour dental visit, where the dentist applies bleaching gel directly. In contrast, a take-home kit has gel-filled trays that a patient wears for two weeks. With either approach, though, you can expect stellar results.

How Do Veneers Work?

Put simply, veneers are shells placed on the fronts of teeth. Dentists use them to hide a patient’s smile flaws, ranging from chips and stains to cracks and misalignments. This versatility ensures veneers transform many aspects of your grin at once.

Given their material, veneers are highly effective. Each shell is made of high-quality porcelain customized for your teeth. As a result, your treatment results will blend seamlessly – they’ll match their surroundings’ color, size, and shape.

Which Choice is Right for You?

Between whitening and veneers, the right choice will depend on your situation. The two treatments have their strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, you should pick the one that best fits your needs.

For instance, you could get whitening if you prefer cheap and quick work. This option delivers fine results at a relatively low price. Plus, both in-office treatment and take-home kits involve little time. In exchange, though, note that whitening is best for hiding extrinsic stains. It can’t bleach away marks under your enamel.

As for veneers, they’d help if you want versatile and enduring results. The shells can hide both extrinsic and intrinsic stains, not to mention other smile flaws. Even better, their effects on your grin can last 10-30 years with proper care. However, placing veneers can be costly and invasive. The process is pricier than whitening and removes bits of your enamel.

Deciding between teeth whitening or veneers is tricky. Still, your choice gets easier when you know the differences in procedures. Therefore, remember the facts above and see your dentist before committing.

About the Practice

McComb Family Dental is based in McComb, OH. Led by its trio of well-trained dentists, our practice always gives each patient excellent smile care. We thus offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative services, as well as emergency dental treatments. Naturally, these offerings even include great teeth whitening and porcelain veneer options! For more details or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (419)-293-2335.