When one's pearlies are no longer porcelain white, the likely solution for most is teeth whitening, done either at the dentist's or with over-the-counter kits.

But the results of whitening, which involves bleaching the teeth, can be unpredictable as they vary from one individual to the next, so there is no guarantee that a desired degree of whiteness can be achieved.

"Teeth whitening is a quick fix for someone who wants to aesthetically enhance their smile," said Dr Gan Theng Wei of Dental on the Bay.

"However, whitening does have its limitations in the case where the patients have imperfections related to severe discolouration, shape, size or positioning (of teeth). That is where veneers will greatly enhance the aesthetic look," he said.

Veneers are porcelain shells permanently bonded to the front of teeth to mask imperfections. They can also help to narrow gaps between teeth and cover up oddly shaped ones, creating a row of evenly-shaped teeth.

The downside? With the traditional method of veneer placement, said Dr Gan, each veneer costs $800 to $1,000, with a minimum of six teeth to be done to achieve a good effect. And with 10 teeth on either jaw visible in a smile, that works out to upwards of $16,000 for the full works - a hefty sum for a million-dollar smile.

But those looking to go for veneers will have something to smile about with the introduction in Singapore of GlamSmile, said to be the first full-arch veneer delivery and placement system of its kind. Around for about six years and available in the United States and Europe, GlamSmile was introduced to Singapore this year.

Compared to traditional veneers where dentists place one veneer on a tooth at a time - a process that can take up to four hours for 10 teeth - the "tray" of GlamSmile veneers is fixed onto the upper or lower jaws at one go. Each tray can place up to 10 teeth, and it takes under an hour for each jaw.

The cost of this new delivery system? The full treatment works out to about $9,000 for both jaws of teeth.

It takes two sessions to complete the procedure. The first lasts an hour, and photos and dental impressions of the upper and lower teeth arches are taken during the visit.

After this, computer-aided technology is used to produce custom-crafted individual veneers, made of pure porcelain or a composite/porcelain hybrid, that are then fitted in a patent-pending tray. Fitting of the veneers takes place in the second session.

According to Dr Gan, the veneers can last eight to 10 years, and caring for them is exactly the same as with normal tooth surfaces.

"In fact, they can be less easily stained," said Dr Frank Lee of Madeliene Gunaratnam Dental Surgery.
Of course, if poor oral practices should cause the veneers to become stained beyond repair, it is possible to get them replaced, said Dr Lee.

But "the stains are likely to be external stains that can be removed by the dentist via a maintenance polish".

"If maintenance is in conjunction with your regular dental visit, it won't be necessary to replace the veneers," said Dr Lee.

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DENTAL CLINICS OFFERING GLAMSMILE

Tan Hee Hon Prosthodontics and Orofacial Pain Clinic 3 Mount Elizabeth, Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, #06-10, Singapore 228510
Tel: 6235 9983

Madeliene Gunaratnam Dental Surgery 19 Tanglin Road, Tanglin Shopping Centre, #06-38, Singapore 247909
Tel: 67328087

Dental on the Bay 1 HarbourFront Walk, Vivo City, #02-230, Singapore 098585
Tel: 6376 9001

KCS Dental Clinic Block 718 Bedok Reservoir Road, #01-4594,
Singapore 470718
Tel: 64424149

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