Do Veneers Successfully Treat Sensitive Teeth?

Do Veneers Help With Sensitive Teeth?

If you suffer from sensitive teeth, everyday tasks like drinking hot or cold liquids can be painful. Sensitive teeth occur for many reasons, including cracked teeth, gum recession, tooth decay, grinding, and more. If you have tried other sensitive teeth treatments without success, you may be wondering if dental veneers can help.

What Are Dental Veneers?

Veneers are thin shells made of porcelain or composite resin that dentists permanently bond to the front surface of teeth. Most often using veneers for cosmetic purposes to improve the look of chipped, gapped, stained or misshapen front teeth that don't respond well to teeth whitening or orthodontics.

Do Veneers Help With Sensitivity?

Veneers protect damaged tooth structure and exposed dentin tubules. As they cover the entire front surface of teeth, veneers also keep liquids and air from reaching the sensitive underlying area. Most patients find veneers provide significant relief from temperature sensitivity as well as contact sensitivity from pressure on the teeth.

What Causes Sensitive Teeth?

To understand why veneers successfully ease sensitivity, it helps to first understand what leads to sensitive teeth. Common culprits include:

• Tooth decay eating away enamel to reveal sensitive dentin beneath.
• Cracked or chipped teeth leading to open areas of exposed dentin.
• Worn down enamel from acid, abrasion or attrition.
• Gum recession leaving unprotected tooth necks open to stimuli.
• Teeth grinding eroding enamel over time.
• Improper brushing with abrasive toothpaste damaging enamel.

When any of the above occurs, the softer layer under enamel called dentin becomes uncovered. Dentin contains thousands of tiny tubules leading to tooth nerves. Hot, cold, acidic or sticky foods, brushing too hard, grinding, or even just biting down can push stimuli into these tubules. The nerves register this as pain or sensitivity.

How Veneers Treat Root Causes of Sensitivity

Veneers address several underlying sources of sensitive teeth simultaneously. They:

• Cover exposed dentin and seal off open tubules.
• Reinforce cracked or fractured areas.
• Rebuild worn, eroded enamel.
• Protect areas of gum recession.

This shields nerves from stimuli and prevents pain transmission signals. Even with issues like decay or recession still present underneath the veneer, you experience relief by isolating those areas from exposure.

Advantages of Veneers for Sensitive Teeth

Before choosing veneers to manage pain from temperature changes or pressure, consider their benefits compared to other options:

Highly Effective

Success rates for veneers eliminating or drastically reducing tooth sensitivity are remarkably high 95% or better for most patients. The physical barrier veneers create stops pain at the source. This compares favorably to home remedies or special toothpastes that offer mild numbing effects but dont address underlying problems.

Long Lasting

Veneers have an impressive lifespan, generally 10-20 years or more with proper care. Some sources estimate over 30 years. This contrasts with bonding, another restorative option to cover exposed areas on teeth, which starts to break down after just 5-7 years.

Improve Appearance

Along with alleviating sensitivity, veneers refresh your smile by changing the shape, size, and color of front teeth. They mask cracks, chips, gaps, stains and other aesthetic issues. Achieving a naturally beautiful smile in addition to sensitivity relief is a nice bonus!

Preserve Natural Teeth

Veneers allow keeping and restoring your natural teeth instead of extracting them or relying on dental implants. By bolstering structurally compromised teeth, you get to keep your smile intact. This represents a minimally invasive alternative to more complicated restorations later.

Fewer Repeat Procedures

While not considered a permanent tooth replacement like an implant, veneers do last for many years. The longer lifespan means avoiding repeat visits for replacement work every handful of years. Compared to short-term options like in-office sensitivity treatments, veneers greatly reduce procedure repetition.

Veneers for Sensitive Teeth by Cause

While veneers successfully ease sensitivity overall, they prove especially useful for certain underlying causes. These include:

Tooth Decay Sensitivity

For decay eating through enamel and irritating the dentin underneath, veneers halt sensitivity by putting a protective barrier between stimuli and damaged nerves. This buys time to seek long-term decay treatment while enjoying pain relief.

Cracked Tooth Sensitivity

Cracked teeth often become extremely sensitive as structural integrity weakens. Even tiny hairline fractures allow seepage of hot or cold liquid through to the teeths inner layers. Placing a veneer over cracks prevents seepage, though the crack itself still requires treatment.

Worn Tooth Sensitivity

Years of erosion from grinding or acid can thin enamel and uncover sensitive areas. Veneers restore lost dimension the same way filling a pothole restores pavement depth and smooths the surface. Covering dips and grooves this way prevents catching and trapping sensitivity-provoking materials.

Gum Recession Sensitivity

Gum recession exposes sensitive root areas normally protected below the gumline. Veneers cover these vulnerable spots to instantly reduce pain instead of trying to regenerate receded gums with grafting which takes longer. This keeps the gums as-is while defending exposed zones.

Ideal Candidates for Sensitive Teeth Veneers

Patients dealing with chronic sensitivity who meet the following criteria often pursue veneers:

• Tried other treatments like special toothpastes without lasting relief.
• Have front teeth sensitivity from one or more causes like decay, cracks, erosion, recession.
• Dont require complex root canal therapy for advanced decay issues.
• Seeking a solution that lasts many years not just weeks or months.
• Want to improve smile appearance in addition to addressing pain.

These attributes indicate someone likely to experience excellent function and aesthetics from veneers while fixing sensitivity challenges.

The Veneers Procedure

Consultation

A dentist first determines if veneers can appropriately treat sensitivity and meet cosmetic goals. They examine teeth structure, health and appearance needs. Impressions and photos aid analysis and procedure planning.

Tooth Preparation

Teeth undergo light buffing to create space for veneer thickness. Amount removed varies from nearly nothing to under half a millimeter. Local anesthetic ensures comfort. Preparation extent relates to veneer material used and specific tooth factors.

Temporary Veneers

After reshaping teeth, temporary acrylic veneers get placed for 1-2 weeks while the dental lab fabricates permanent ones. Temporaries mimic final shape and color, protect teeth, and allow assessing the planned outcome.

Bonding Appointment

The dentist secures final veneers with bonding agents for strong, stable adhesion. Layering composite beneath veneers provides added insulation from temperature changes to fight sensitivity. Final adjustments address fit, comfort and appearance.

Follow Up

Follow-up visits in coming weeks or months help ensure positive adjustment to veneers. Many labs also offer warranties against fracture or defect for 1-5 years following placement.

Caring for New Veneers

Proper oral hygiene preserves veneers appearance and sensitivity-blocking abilities over the long term. Recommendations include:

• Brushing gently with soft or ultrasonic toothbrush and non-abrasive fluoride toothpaste.
• Flossing once daily, careful to avoid tearing veneers at gum margins.
• Seeing your dentist for regular professional cleanings & exams.
• Avoiding chewing hard foods like ice or nails that risk cracking veneers.

Implementing careful cleaning methods and wearing a night guard if you grind or clench protects veneer integrity and long-term performance.

Downsides of Veneers for Sensitive Teeth

While veneers successfully treat sensitivity, a few disadvantages exist to consider before moving forward:

• Tooth reduction - Although minimal, reshaping is irreversible. Light enamel removal also heightens short-term sensitivity until getting the veneer placed.
• Higher cost - Ranging $925-$2,500 per tooth depending on material, veneers cost notably more than basic bonding that starts under $200 per tooth.
• Maintenance - Keeping veneers beautiful and functional means committing to careful oral hygiene and avoiding damage-causing habits.
• Replacement need - On rare occasions, veneers eventually need replacement even when properly cared for, due to trauma or material flaws.

None of those limitations are deal-breakers for people enjoying long-term alleviation of tooth sensitivity, though the choice requires weighing pros and cons.

Consult With a Cosmetic Dentist About Veneers

Veneers earned near-legendary status for their smile transformation powers in the dental world. But beyond an amazing Hollywood smile facelift, they equally perform functional restorations like relieving painful tooth sensitivity. Through bonding technology allowing thin shells to seamlessly attach and conform to teeth, veneers both beautify and generously improve daily life.

If you lived with sensitive teeth despite trying other options, schedule a veneers consultation. An expert cosmetic dentist can discuss whether these wonderful restorations might prove life-changing by blocking stimuli reaching sensitive nerves in damaged areas. With high success rates and patient satisfaction, the answer is often a resounding yes!

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.