Stage two of my veneer journey - temporary veneers

So, after braving the consultations and making the decision to part with my hard earned cash (which you can read all about by clicking here), I made my way to my next appointment to have my teeth prepared for the real veneers.

When I arrived I was called through to the chair very quickly and I was really pleased to learn that Zoom2 had lightened my teeth to a shade B1, which my real veneers would be made to match. He discussed what he was going to do and reassured me that we could stop at anytime if I needed a break.

Firstly, he applied some numbing gel to my gums before injecting each tooth with anaesthetic. He then advised me that he was going to file away at my composite and begin removing it before filing down some of my own teeth too. He was very gentle and I didn't feel any pain. I did feel a tad concerned when I ran my tongue along my teeth as they felt like gappy stumps, however, this is completely normal as they sometimes need to remove a bit of of your natural tooth to make room for the new veneers to sit comfortably.

The dentist then got the laser out to begin neatening up my gums. He warned me that there may be an unpleasant smell but I didn't smell anything and the whole procedure was completely painless. I just felt a warm tingling sensation and pressure. He removed the gum that had overgrown between the composite ledge and my natural tooth and I just felt relief - it must've been pretty sore where it had overgrown. The laser sounds a lot worse than it actually is. I was able to eat within a couple of hours and didn't really face any problems as a result of the gum removal.

After he'd finished filing the teeth down it was time for some more impressions to be taken so that the permanent veneers could be made. He put several moulds inside my mouth but by this point I was literally so numb I couldn't feel a thing. I was surprised when he passed me the mirror to find that he had actually already put the temporary veneers in!

The temporary veneers were fitted as one 'block' of 4 teeth. He then got the drill out and made small gaps to make them appear more natural. They aren't shaped perfectly like the real ones will be. The temporary veneers felt a bit rough around the edges and felt a little bulky in my mouth but I didn't find them uncomfortable to wear. The main issue with them was the sensitivity to hot and cold. I stuck to room temperature water/squash. You are advised to avoid biting into anything as they are only glued on for a couple of weeks or so. In my case I had the temporary veneers on for 2 weeks and I'd gotten so used to them by the end of the first week I simply forgot they were there. One day at McDonalds I ordered the crispy bacon and chicken wrap, went to bite into it and got a bit of a shock - ouch! The worst bit was having to brush gently because of the gum removal and the fragile temporaries - my mouth never felt fully clean.

The best thing about the temporaries is that it gives you a chance to go home, live with the teeth and think about anything you're unhappy with. It's much better to bring up any changes with your dentist at this point, rather than when you're getting the permanent veneers fitted. For me, I liked the style but found the shape was a little too rounded. Aside from that I was really happy with the result.

Here's a picture taken a week later - my first SMILING selfie!! :-) 

Click here to see my third and final post, including before and after photos!