Does It Hurt to Get Dental Veneers?

The reason why some people are concerned that getting veneers will hurt is that they require the preparation of your natural teeth. We have to make space on your natural teeth to place the veneers so they look natural and don’t create a shelf where plaque and food debris can collect.

However, this preparation doesn’t remove much of your tooth enamel, usually about 0.5 mm (about 0.02 inch) or less. It might be more if you are looking to significantly reshape or reposition your teeth.

This is similar to or less than the amount of tooth material removed for a filling, though it’s over a larger area. And, overall, it’s much less than would be removed to prepare your teeth for dental crowns. During the procedure, we will use local anesthesia to make sure your teeth don’t hurt at all.

Once your teeth are prepared, we will take impressions of your teeth. This is painless. Then we will place your temporary veneers. Bonding the temporary veneers shouldn’t cause any discomfort either.

After your temporary veneers are placed, you will wear them until  your final veneers are ready. During this period, you might experience some discomfort.

Although your teeth were numbed during the procedure, they still experience the stress of vibration from the preparation tools. This vibration can lead the tooth pulp to become inflamed. The swelling of the pulp creates pressure on the tooth nerve, which can be uncomfortable.

Not everyone experiences this discomfort. If you do, it usually responds well to NSAIDs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen.

Some people also experience some tooth sensitivity to heat and cold during this period. That’s because the material of the temporary veneers doesn’t insulate or protect the teeth as well as the final veneers.

Once your final veneers are ready, we will remove the temporaries. Then we will bond the permanent veneers to your teeth. This doesn’t usually cause discomfort, but we can numb  your teeth for this stage, too, if you prefer.

After your final veneers are placed, you might experience some minor discomfort and sensitivity for a few more days. Again, it should be controllable with over-the-counter pain medications. Once the discomfort fades, your veneers will feel comfortable, just like your natural teeth. You may even forget you have them.