Porcelain Veneers
Want a healthy looking smile? Veneers may be your best option!
In dentistry, a veneer is a thin layer of strong porcelain that substitutes for natural tooth enamel. When bonded to your teeth, veneers create a natural-looking, beautiful new surface. That’s because dental porcelain, like natural tooth enamel, is translucent and tough. Even better, it doesn’t stain!
Veneers are made so thin that they can sometimes be bonded directly onto your existing tooth surface. In other cases, a very thin layer of tooth enamel, as thin as the veneer itself, needs to be removed to fit the new porcelain surface and make it look as lifelike as possible.
Versatility of Porcelain Veneers
Veneers can be used to improve any of the following characteristics of your teeth:
- Color: teeth become stained by food and drinks, smoking, and aging. Veneers are available in numerous shades from natural to the brightest Hollywood white.
- Size & Shape: teeth are worn down by grinding habits. Or, you may just not have the shape or size you desire. Veneers can be shaped and sized in whichever way is most flattering to your face.
- Alignment & Spacing: veneers can used to close small gaps between teeth or make slight corrections in alignment while improving tooth color and shape.
Limitations of Porcelain Veneers
There are some situations in which veneers would be inappropriate. For example, if you have significantly misaligned teeth or a large gap, orthodontic treatment might be a more appropriate solution than veneers. Or, if you lost a lot of tooth structure from decay or trauma (or a particularly severe grinding habit), it might be better to restore your teeth with porcelain crowns that cover the entire tooth.
Creating a New Smile with Porcelain Veneers
The first step towards creating a new smile with porcelain veneers is to communicate exactly what you don’t like about your smile as it is now. Bring in pictures of smiles you do like as a starting point for discussion. Our cosmetic dental clinic has several methods for trying veneers out.
We’ll prepare your teeth by removing a small amount of enamel if necessary. We’ll then make molds of your teeth with to create the veneers. During the period when a dental laboratory is constructing your veneers, you’ll use a set of temporary veneers. When the veneers return from the lab, our laser dentistry will cement them to your teeth.
Caring for Your Veneers
Veneers require gentle brushing and flossing every day to remove plaque and ensure gum tissue health around the veneers. Regular checkups at our local dentist office are important, as well. Contact us today for an appointment!