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What to Know About Clip-On Veneers

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What's a Clip-on Veneer?

Clip-on veneers can help you achieve the look of perfect teeth at a lower cost than dental surgery or orthodontia. Also called snap-on veneers, clip-ons easily fit over your existing teeth whenever you need or want to wear them.

Traditional veneers are thin pieces of porcelain permanently bonded to the front surfaces of your teeth. The less-permanent option of clip-on veneers fits over your teeth like a mouth guard. These removable veneers cover up dental challenges, such as missing teeth, gaps, chips and discolored or stained teeth. If you're not ready for a more invasive procedure that offers you a permanent set of veneers to fix your teeth, clip-on veneers might be an ideal alternative.

Being fitted for clip-on veneers is easy. A dentist who specializes in clip-on veneers takes molds of your teeth. A dental lab then creates the veneers from resins or other proprietary materials. Your dentist tells you if you can eat and drink while wearing the veneers.

Benefits of Clip-On Veneers

Clip-on veneers have numerous benefits over traditional veneers. Clip-ons let you try out your new look without committing to the more invasive, expensive procedure. The temporary procedure is also a painless quick fix for simple dental problems. Clip-on veneers can automatically give you a fuller and whiter smile than trying to bleach over crowns can.

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Another benefit is that the dental appliance lets you see in advance what a more permanent cosmetic procedure's results look like. Seeing what your altered smile will look like before committing to a more permanent solution is motivation to have the surgery done in the future.

There's no drilling, shaving or modifying your natural tooth structure when the dentist fits you for clip-on veneers. That's great news if you're afraid of dental surgery. There are no brackets or wires to contend with. You won't have to go through dozens of orthodontist visits while wearing clip-on veneers.

Clip-on veneers last about a year or two with maintenance. All you have to do is faithfully clean them with a special toothpaste and toothbrush.

Who Can Wear Clip-On Veneers?

Most people can wear clip-on veneers. You can wear them if you have overcrowded teeth, gaps, missing teeth, chipped teeth or stained teeth. You don't have to have all your teeth to wear a clip-on veneer. You can even wear a set if you have an underbite.

There are some restrictions when it comes to wearing clip-on veneers. If your teeth are loose, clip-on veneers can't sit well in your mouth. If you have gum disease, clip-on veneers may worsen it faster. If you have more than four teeth in a row missing, you may have a problem being fitted for clip-on veneers.

Another issue is how you handle the feeling of clip-on veneers when they're in your mouth. Removable veneers feel different in your mouth. Clip-on veneers are thicker, longer, wider and larger than your normal teeth. It might feel like you're wearing an orthodontic retainer. If you have trouble with that feeling in your mouth, clip-on veneers may not be right for you.

How to Use Clip-On Veneers

Clip-on veneers slide right over your own teeth without covering the roof of your mouth. The veneers don't cut into your gums if your dentist fits them correctly.

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Though they're called clip-on or snap-on veneers, there are no clips, snaps, glues or adhesives necessary for inserting them into or taking them out of your mouth. Clip-on veneers stay in place thanks to the saliva between the device and your natural teeth. The saliva creates a suction effect, which keeps the veneers from falling out when you're active. When you're ready to remove the clip-on veneers, you simply take them off with your fingers.

It's also important to note that you may want to wear clip-on veneers only for special occasions. That's because, as mentioned, eating and drinking may reduce their lifespan. In addition, clip-on veneer manufacturers suggest that you avoid drinking coffee or red wine, which may stain the material. If you love your veneers, simply treat them like dentures and wear them and clean them daily.