As someone who personally doesn’t believe in intelligent design, human teeth are probably my main case against the idea. When you think about it, everything about our teeth is pretty messed up. First of all, we are born with two sets of them, one of which we lose, painfully, around a certain age. The other set then just grows into replace it, and I am mystified by the purpose of this. It would make some sense, if we had an endless supply of teeth like sharks and some other creatures. But no, we get only two, and we eject one of them no matter what.
On top of this, our teeth are extremely fragile, meaning that if we don’t brush them religiously, they rot out of our mouths, rather painfully. Some of us lose them the matter what, being born with poor enamel, or just bad teeth from the start. If we eat or drink things we enjoy, our teeth become permanently stained as a result as well, and just age alone can do this. Yes, human teeth are pretty stupid.
So, when you have stained, cracked or otherwise blemish teeth, you only have a few choices. You can have them pulled out, and switch to dentures or implants, both of which are painful and costly. Then, there are porcelain veneers.
What are porcelain dental veneers?
These are basically shells put over the teeth, rather than replacing them. They are made of porcelain, a naturally-white, ceramic material that can withstand a lot of rough treatment including heat, acidity and even impact force. Some of the strongest tiles in the world are made of porcelain, and yes, humor will never let us forget that toilets are made of this material as well. I point out the fact that toilets are made out of a, because you will note that toilets are rather sturdy, durable things.
They are applied to the teeth, after a thorough cleaning, through a special, proprietary adhesive that I am, in all honesty, not qualified to actually analyze. There are permanent and nonpermanent porcelain dental veneers, though usually they are permanent.
This is a viable prospect in some cases, as it is somewhat cheaper and less painful than implants, and does let you keep your teeth rather than replacing them with something like dentures. However, it is still a very expensive process, and can lead to things like accelerated tooth decay, and if you lose a tooth, you lose an expensive veneer with it.
Some people have also cited that, with sensitive teeth, porcelain, being something of a thermal conductor, enhances the painful stimulus of extreme cold or extreme hot when it comes to beverages and food. Others have said that sometimes, they just don’t feel entirely natural in the mouth either.
These last two issues, however, are fringe cases, and not the common verdict. Ultimately, it just depends on in what manner your teeth have problems, and your budget. Some may find dentures or implants to be a more viable, appealing solution, while others think that this is a perfect compromise.
