Dental Veneers & Bonding in Alexandria, VA

At LIFE Advanced Integrated Dentistry, we believe everyone deserves a smile that sparks inner joy, confidence, and meaningful connections. Our high-quality dental veneers and composite bonding offer hope for cosmetic smile issues like chipped, cracked, broken, or discolored teeth.

Understanding Dental Veneers and Bonding

Veneers are thin porcelain shells attached to your teeth to improve their shape, size, or color by concealing aesthetic smile concerns. Our custom-crafted veneers are typically made of porcelain or ceramic, but we may also recommend bonding as a more conservative option. 

Dental bonding is a simple process that uses a tooth-colored composite resin placed directly on your teeth to improve their appearance. 

What Aesthetic Smile Concerns Can Veneers Correct?

Your smile tells a unique story. Our cosmetic dentist will listen carefully to your concerns and smile goals, then create a treatment plan to address your aesthetic issues, including: 

• Broken or chipped teeth
• Worn-down teeth
• Severe tooth staining or discoloration
• Misaligned or uneven teeth
• Gaps and spaces between teeth

Porcelain veneers are durable and resistant to staining, though they require more preparation and are a premium investment. However, their longevity—typically 10 to 15 years—makes them a worthwhile choice.

Composite veneers, on the other hand, require little to no tooth preparation. This makes them a more conservative and affordable option, but the material is more prone to staining and needs to be replaced every 5 to 7 years. 

With her wealth of expertise, Dr. Chin will consider all your needs and goals and guide you toward the best choice.

The Process for Getting Veneers

The process for getting lab-created porcelain veneers usually involves two appointments. During the first visit, we will discuss your cosmetic goals and prepare your teeth by removing a small amount of enamel. We then take impressions to create your custom veneers and place temporaries on the prepared teeth to protect them.

The second appointment occurs when your final veneers are ready. We remove the temporaries, then check the veneers for fit and cement them securely to your teeth. 

We can typically complete composite veneers or dental bonding in one visit. We apply the composite material directly to your teeth, and Dr. Chin expertly sculpts it to the desired shape and size. The final step is hardening the material with a special curing light.

Caring for Your New Veneers

Porcelain veneers are easy to care for—just brush and floss as usual with a non-abrasive toothpaste. The important thing to remember is that even though they are strong and durable, veneers are prone to chipping and breaking under the wrong conditions. 

That means avoiding hard or crunchy foods like crusty bread that can damage your veneers. Don’t bite your fingernails or chew on hard objects like ice or pens, and never use your teeth as tools to open packages. 

Ready to Transform Your Smile with Veneers?

If you are tired of hiding your smile and feeling self-conscious around others, our team would love to meet with you to see if veneers would be a good fit. Please call our Alexandria, VA, dental office, and a friendly team member will be happy to help you schedule an appointment to get started! If you are in the surrounding communities, including Franconia, Kingstowne, Springfield, West Springfield, North Springfield, Fairfax, Lincolnia, Annandale, Manassas, and Falls Church we serve you too!