Porcelain Veneers in St. Louis Park, MN

Embarrassed to Smile? Restore Confidence With Veneers

Veneers are very thin pieces of durable, tooth shaped porcelain that are custom made (for shape and color) by a professional dental laboratory. They are bonded onto the front of teeth to create a beautiful and attractive smile. Veneers can completely reshape your teeth and smile. They can often be alternatives to crowns and the ideal solution in treating many dental conditions.

As with most dental restorations, veneers are not permanent and may someday need replacement. They are very durable and will last many years, giving you a beautiful long lasting smile.

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Reasons to Choose Porcelain Veneers

Cosmetically, to Create a Uniform, White, Beautiful Smile

Crooked Teeth

Misshapen Teeth

Severely Discolored or Stained Teeth

Teeth That Are Too Small or Large

Unwanted or Uneven Spaces

Worn or Chipped Teeth

What to Expect From the Porcelain Veneers Process

Getting veneers usually requires two visits to complete the process, with little or no anesthesia required during the procedure. The teeth are prepared by lightly buffing and shaping the surface to allow for the thickness of the veneer. A mold or impression of the teeth is taken and a shade (color) will then be chosen by you and the dentist.

On the second visit the teeth will be cleansed with special liquids to achieve a durable bond. Bonding cement is then placed between the tooth and veneer and a special light beam is used to harden and set the bond.

You will receive care instructions for veneers. Proper brushing, flossing, and regular dental visits will aid in the life of your new veneers.

Contact our St. Louis Park dental office today to schedule your complimentary consultation.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Porcelain Veneers in St. Louis Park, MN

The cost of porcelain veneers depends on how many teeth you are treating, how much preparation each tooth needs, and the lab work involved in custom-shading your restorations. Excel Dentistry quotes veneers per case rather than by a flat price. We review your full treatment plan and fees with you before any work begins. See our financial and insurance options for details.
Most dental insurance plans do not cover porcelain veneers, because veneers are usually classified as an elective cosmetic treatment. There is an exception: when a veneer is restoring a tooth that is fractured, worn, or structurally damaged, part of the treatment may qualify under your restorative benefits. Excel Dentistry accepts most dental insurance programs and will verify your benefits before you commit to anything.

With good care, porcelain veneers commonly last 10 to 20 years before they need to be replaced. Veneers are very durable; however, they are not permanent, and their lifespan depends heavily on habits: grinding or clenching, biting nails or ice, and untreated gum disease all shorten it. 

What protects veneers best is unglamorous but effective: daily brushing and flossing along the gumline and keeping your regular dental cleanings on schedule. If you grind your teeth at night, we will recommend a custom nightguard to safeguard your investment.

No, porcelain veneers do not ruin your teeth, but the procedure is irreversible. To make room for the veneer, the front surface of the tooth is lightly buffed, which removes a thin layer of enamel that does not grow back. That means the tooth will always need coverage from a veneer or another restoration going forward. The tooth itself stays alive, the nerve is untouched, and no root canal is involved. Compared with a dental crown, which caps the entire tooth, a veneer is a far more conservative option.

The choice between porcelain veneers, dental bonding, or crowns depends on how much of the tooth needs to be corrected. 

  • Dental bonding uses tooth-colored composite applied in a single visit, which makes it the fastest and least expensive fix for a small chip or gap, though it stains and chips sooner than porcelain. 
  • Porcelain veneers are lab-made, stain-resistant, and reshape the whole visible surface of several teeth at once, which is why they are the go-to for a full smile transformation. 
  • Crowns cover the entire tooth and are used when a tooth is cracked, heavily filled, or structurally weak. 

Many patients at our St. Louis Park office end up with a combination, which we map out during a smile makeover consultation.

You are likely a candidate if you have healthy gums, enough enamel to bond to, and no untreated decay. Veneers correct crooked, misshapen, worn, chipped, severely stained, or unevenly spaced teeth, as well as teeth that are too small or too large for your smile. A few things need to be handled first: active gum disease is treated through our periodontal therapy program, heavy grinders need a nightguard, and significant crowding is sometimes better corrected with Invisalign before or instead of veneers.
That depends on your smile line, meaning how many teeth actually show when you talk and smile. Most full smile transformations at our St. Louis Park practice involve six, eight, or ten upper teeth, since treating the teeth that show as a set is what produces an even, uniform result. If you are correcting one chipped or discolored tooth, we may place a single veneer and shade-match it to the tooth beside it, or place two for symmetry. During your complimentary consultation, we will walk you through what each option looks like before you commit to a number.

Getting veneers usually takes two visits spread over roughly two to three weeks, with the gap accounting for the dental laboratory custom-making your veneers. At the first visit, we lightly buff and shape the teeth, make an impression, and choose your shade together. On the second visit, we clean your teeth, place bonding cement, and harden and set the bond with a special light. 

Little or no anesthesia is typically needed, and most patients describe the appointments as comfortable rather than painful. Mild temperature sensitivity for a few days afterward is normal and fades on its own.

Porcelain resists staining better than natural enamel or composite bonding, so coffee, tea, and red wine are far less of a threat than they were before. The trade-off is that veneers will not respond to whitening gel, and neither will the cement line at the edge. 

If you want a brighter overall smile, complete your teeth whitening before your veneer shade is selected, so your natural teeth and your new veneers match for years rather than drifting apart. Our team in St. Louis Park will plan that order for you at the consultation.