Veneers

Introduction

Porcelain dental veneers are a beautiful way to correct stained, chipped or crooked teeth. By placing glass-like ceramic porcelain on the surface of teeth, we can provide patients with bright, straight, and natural looking smiles.

Placing Dental Veneers

Placement of porcelain veneers is one that requires the skill, precision, and artistry of a talented cosmetic dentist. Having your smile made over with veneers usually takes about three office visits.

In the first visit, we will first plan your new smile by determining what size, shape, and type of veneers will best complement your smile, face shape, and aesthetic desires. Next, we will carefully prepare the teeth by removing a small amount of enamel to accommodate the veneer. We will then place temporary veneers to protect the teeth while the permanent version is crafted in a dental laboratory.

When he permanent veneers are ready, you will return for your third visit to have your permanent veneers placed. This is the final step in your smile transformation, and you can leave office with a brand new, beautiful smile.

What Will My Porcelain Veneers Look Like

The glass-like ceramic that forms porcelain veneers closely resembles natural tooth enamel This is because, much like real tooth enamel, porcelain veneers are translucent. When light strikes a natural tooth's surface, it is not immediately reflected off. Instead, it penetrates the tooth enamel and reflects off the opaque tooth dentin that lies just beneath. This translucent effect is what gives teeth their luster. By replicating this, porcelain dental veneers provide patients with bright, natural looking smiles.

Porcelain dental veneers can also cover and repair cracked and chipped teeth. Because porcelain veneers are custom made and fitted to your teeth by a skilled cosmetic dentist, you can customize and improve much more than just the color of your teeth. Crooked and chipped teeth can have their appearances improved to give you a beautiful new smile. any broken teeth can be repaired using dental crowns, or caps, that can be color matched to your dental veneers.

Candidates For Porcelain Veneers

While Porcelain Veneers are one of the most effective cosmetic dentistry treatments, they are not for everyone. Since the placement process is irreversible and involves removal of tooth structure, patients should make sure they find an experienced cosmetic dentist to help determine their candidacy for Veneers. Ideal candidates for porcelain veneers have:

Good Dental Health

Patients with certain dental health issues are not candidates for porcelain veneers. This includes individuals who have extensive tooth decay, gingivitis or gum disease, severe misalignment, or major cracks in their teeth, as well as those who suffer from chronic teeth grinding.

Realistic Expectations

Ideal porcelain veneers candidates have realistic expectations of what can be achieved with porcelain veneers. They should be fully informed about what to expect in the placement process of porcelain veneers, including the risks, benefits, and cost of porcelain veneers. Patients should also have realistic aesthetic goals, since, although porcelain veneers can cover chips stains, minor misalignment, misshaped teeth, and/or gaps between the teeth, more complex problem may require an alternative treatment.

The Adjustment Process

Patients should also be aware of the adjustment involved in adapting to a smile makeover. The adjustment is both physical (becoming comfortable eating and speaking) and psychological (adjusting to the dramatic difference a smile makeover can have on a patient's self - perception).

An Awareness Of Other Cosmetic Options

An ideal porcelain veneers candidate is aware of the alternatives to porcelain veneers and has fully considered the risks and benefits of all the options. Braces, Invisalign, and dental bonding can correct flaws, while teeth whitening and other aesthetic treatments can dramatically enhance a smile.

Technique

Step 1 : Planning Your New Smile

Planning your new smile is the first, yet one of the most crucial, steps in a smile makeover with dental veneers. It requires the artistic eye and technical skill of a cosmetic dentist experienced in placing porcelain veneers. Therefore, your first step toward cosmetic enhancement with porcelain dental veneers is to meet us and discuss your goals for treatment. At this time, we will provide you with a full consultation about the porcelain veneers procedure and determine what you can expect from treatment. You can expect the following during your first appointment.

Initial Consultation

In the initial consultation with us, we will gather information about your cosmetic goals, dental health, and medial history. This will help you to determine if you are a candidate for porcelain veneers.

Cosmetic Dental Imaging

To help you in your decision process, we may provide cosmetic digital imaging, which allows a patient to preview what their smile makeover may look before committing to treatment.

Porcelain Veneers Options

Once you and we determine that veneers are the best choice for your smile makeover, there are several types of porcelain veneers to choose from, and we will help you choose the one that is right for you.

Alternatives to Porcelain Veneers

We will discuss with you in your first visit, alternatives to porcelain veneers like bonding, orthodontics etc.

Step 2 : Preparing The Teeth

After planning your new smile, you will return for your second office visit to have your teeth prepared for porcelain veneers. This step is necessary since veneers adhere to the front of teeth, and a portion of the tooth structure must be removed to make room for the veneers. Preparing the teeth involves the following steps:

Reducing the Teeth

By lightly buffing the front surface of your teeth, we will remove an approximately one-half-millimeter layer of enamel from the front of your teeth. The wafer-thin porcelain veneers will eventually be set in place of this enamel. This step is virtually painless.

Creating a Mold of Teeth

After the teeth are reduced, we will take a mold of your teeth. This mold provides an exact impression of your bite, mouth size and teeth shape. The mold is then sent to a dental laboratory, where lab technicians will custom craft your porcelain veneers to match your teeth and complement your smile.

Placing Temporary Veneers

After the mold is made, we will place temporary veneers to cover and protect the teeth while your permanent veneers are crafted. When your permanent veneers are ready (usually in about a week), you will return for your third and final visit to have your porcelain veneers placed.

Step 3: Placement of Veneers

The third step in the porcelain veneers placement process is often the most exciting, since it completes the smile makeover. At this time, we will be able to perfect the color of your dental veneers, assure that your bite is aligned, and provide aftercare and additional smile makeover information.

Placing the Porcelain Veneers

To place the veneers, we will begin by administering a local anesthetic. When the mouth is completely nub, we will gently remove the temporary veneers. Next, we will carefully place the permanent veneers and bond them to the teeth with dental cement. we will then match the veneers' color to achieve a beautiful luster and natural-looking appearance. After the fit and color of your dental veneers are adjusted to your liking, the adhesive is hardened using a special light. You will then have a bright, long-lasting smile with new porcelain veneers.

Teeth Whitening

While porcelain veneers are often all that is needed for a smile makeover, some patients who have porcelain veneers placed on several, but not all, of their teeth often polish their look with professional teeth whitening treatments. Talk to us about at home and in office teeth whitening options and find out whether you are a candidate for teeth whitening.

Aftercare

Porcelain veneers can last for many years with proper aftercare. Maintaining good oral hygiene while preventing tooth grinding and other habits can prolong the life of your veneers and prevent periodontal disease and other problems. Before leaving the dentist's office, be sure to talk to your dentist about how to protect your new smile.

Caring For Your Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers can be used to either subtly enhance or dramatically transform the appearance of your smile. And fortunately, porcelain veneers can last for many years when they are cared for properly. The following habits will prolong the use of your veneers and keep your smile healthy for as long as possible.

Proper Dental Hygiene

You will need to keep your teeth clean and healthy once your veneers are placed. Daily brushing and flossing will protect the natural tooth structure supporting the veneers and prevent tooth decay and gum disease.

Avoid Teeth - Staining Substances

Although most porcelain veneers are stain- resistant, in some cases, certain substances (such as red wine, coffee, tobacco, and certain medications) can cause discoloration. Moreover, if you have veneers placed on some (but not all ) of your teeth, the natural teeth can become stained, necessitating teeth whitening to renew their luster.

Choose an Experienced Porcelain Veneers Dentist

It is important to choose a cosmetic dentist who has experience with porcelain veneers. Experienced porcelain veneers specialists are more able than general dentists to maintain veneers. In regular visits with your cosmetic dentist (up to four times per year), he or she will help keep the veneers polished and detect problems in their earliest stages.

Other Tips for Protecting Porcelain Veneers

To keep the veneers from chipping or wearing down, avoid habits such as chewing on ice, fingernail biting, and teeth grinding. Also avoid activities (such as contact sports) in which your veneers could be damaged, or wear a protective mouth guard if you do participate. Since cavities can develop under the veneers, it is also important to schedule regular dental checkups to detect tooth decay early on.

Alternatives to Dental Veneers

While porcelain veneers can be used to make over a person's smile with excellent results, they are not the best treatment option for everyone. Depending on your dental health, treatment goals and financial objectives, you may benefit more from another treatment, such as braces, Invisalign or dental bonding.

Braces

Since healthy, aligned teeth are the foundation of a beautiful smile, braces may be the best solution if a patient has severe crowding, a cross- bite, or an over- bite. This is because teeth that do not fit together correctly can cause tooth decay, bone loss, bite problems, and other issues if left untreated. Unlike veneers, which conceal crooked teeth, braces straighten the teeth and prevent problems caused by misalignment.

Invisalign

For patients with minor misalignment, Invisalign can be an excellent option for obtaining a balanced, healthy smile. The Invisalign system provides the benefits of braces - correcting misalignment instead of camouflaging it like veneers - without conspicuous metal or ceramic brackets. Instead, the Invisalign system uses a series of clear plastic trays that gradually reposition the teeth. The trays are comfortable, removable, and virtually invisible, making them popular among adult orthodontic patients.

Dental Bonding

For minor chips, cracks and discoloration, dental bonding may be all that is needed to enhance your smile. Unlike placing porcelain veneers, dental bonding does not require removal of the natural tooth structure (although it may require light etching of the enamel). Instead, the bonding material is applied directly to the surface of the tooth and cured with a special light. Dental bonding is also a relatively inexpensive alternative to veneers.

Benefits of Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers can be dream come true for people seeking a solution for aesthetic flaws, since, in just a few office visits, veneers provide a total smile makeover. While there are risks involved with porcelain veneers, the advantages they provide make them one of the most popular cosmetic dentistry treatments. Among their many benefits, dental veneers are:

The Ultimate Smile Makeover Treatment

Having a dazzling, balanced smile is possible, thanks to porcelain veneers. Since veneers fit over the front of teeth, they transform the smile by completely concealing imperfections.

The Solution for Numerous Aesthetic Flaws

Porcelain veneers camouflage numerous cosmetic problems, making them an option for a wide range of patients. Chips, cracks, discoloration and misalignment are among the flaws veneers can cover.

An Alternative to Orthodontic Treatment

Many people are dissatisfied with their smile's alignment, but they avoid seeking treatment because they don't want traditional braces. Porcelain dental veneers can even be specially fitted to reshape crooked teeth that may otherwise require orthodontics.

Compatible With Other Dental Treatments

Although porcelain veneers are often all that is needed for a smile makeover, they are also compatible with other dental treatments. For example, they can be placed in combination with teeth whitening, a full mouth reconstruction, TMJ treatment , or neuromuscular dentistry to completely repair and enhance a patient's smile.

 

Risks Of Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers have numerous benefits that make them an excellent cosmetic dentistry option. However, like any other dental treatment, they there are risks that patients should be aware of before choosing veneers. Talk to your dentist to find out whether you are a candidate for porcelain veneers and, if in your particular case, the risks outweigh the benefits. If they do, your dentist can help you choose an alternative to veneers that will safely enhance your smile.

Porcelain Veneers Placement Is Irreversible

Patients considering veneers should understand that veneers are not removable, once the teeth are prepared for porcelain veneers, the process is irreversible. Before committing to veneers , patients should consult with an experienced dentist offering porcelain veneers to explore all their options.

Porcelain Veneers May Need To Be Replaced

Although the placement of veneers is an irreversible process, veneers may eventually need to be replaced. Veneers may become worn down over time, or they may become damaged or break off in an accident. Patients should be aware of this possibility and of the future cost it may incur.

Porcelain Veneers Placement May Cause Tooth Trauma Or Sensitivity

While every effort is made to remove as little of the tooth structure as possible in the placement of porcelain veneers, reducing the tooth structure increases risk of trauma to the tooth. Some patients experience minor tooth sensitivity for a week or so after the veneers are placed.