Q. i have had a root filling on one of my front teeth years ago which has discoloured it thus making me a little uncomfortable when i have to smile!! unfortunate for me i work as an air hostess so i have to be all smiley smiley all the time!! i am considering having veneers but want to know alot more about them, ie cost for a full set? what the ups and downs are? do my teeth get damaged? how long do they last? i smoke, so would that effect them? and i am a little scared to just go to anybody as i dont want to be one of those cases where things go wrong and im left with infection or no teeth!? sorry!!

A. hi
if the discolouration of the tooth is really bad then a crown may be more suitable.
for that perfect smile your other teeth may be suitable for veneers which is a thin porcelain covering on the outer surface of the tooth , this usually means that the tooth needs to be drilled to avoid bulkiness when the veneer is placed . the downside is that you are comitting to a non reversible procedure . as time goes on and if your gums receed you will begin to see the join to the tooth near the gum -which is more of a problem if you have a gummy smile otherwise you will be ok.
smoking increases the efects of gum disease and also helps initiate gum disease so can contribute to the long term look of your veneers
costs per tooth vary between 475 to 700 per tooth depending on level of cosmetics
if just the position of your teeth apart from the dark one bothers you but not size and shape consider orthodontics like invisalign

Dr Safeer Butt
S3 Dental Studios
www.s3dental.co.uk
Surrey Kent Sussex