Veneers

What are porcelain veneers?


Porcelain veneers are thin shells of ceramic made in our dental laboratory that bond directly to the front and biting edges of the teeth. They are an ideal choice for improving your smile and have become increasingly popular due to their natural appearance. With teeth veneers as an alternative, there is no reason to put up with gaps between your teeth, teeth that are stained, badly shaped or crooked. A dental veneer placed on the front of your teeth can correct these maladies to help you achieve a beautiful smile!

Will they look like normal teeth?

When bonded to the teeth, the thin porcelain veneers are virtually undetectable and highly resistant to coffee, tea, or even cigarette stains. For strength and appearance, their resemblance to healthy, white tooth enamel is unsurpassed by other restorative options except all porcelain crowns. Because they are thin, light can shine through them and they take on the natural color of the underlying tooth.

How durable are porcelain veneers?

With proper care, porcelain veneers will brighten your smile for well over a decade. Our dentists and laboratory technicians will ensure that your teeth veneers are crafted from the highest quality porcelains and are bonded with the most advanced and proven materials available. About 99% of the dental practices in the country send their impressions to an outside laboratory to actually make the veneers, or other restorations like crowns or bridges. We have our own in-house laboratory and our technicians are constantly taking courses to stay current on the latest technologies.

The Veneer Procedure

This procedure will require three appointments:

  • Diagnosis and treatment planning
  • Preparation
  • Bonding

Diagnosis and treatment planning:

A treatment plan will be decided on by you and one of our dentists to determine how many teeth will need dental veneers to achieve the optimum result.

Preparation:

The second appointment will take one to two hours. Although the porcelain veneer is very thin, the teeth are carefully prepared on the front and biting edge to allow for the added thickness. Approximately one millimeter of tooth is removed. In order to get patients in the door some dentists claim they can use a special proprietary veneer that does not need tooth preparation. If you go to this office for veneers, there is an extremely high probability that they will prepare your teeth for veneers.

Then a mold is taken of the teeth and our lab will fabricate the veneer. A temporary veneer will be placed at this time. The veneer should be ready in approximately two weeks.

Bonding Veneers In Place:

At the time of your third appointment, we will first place the veneers on your teeth with a special try-in paste to check their fit and color. You will see the veneers to approve the color. The tooth is cleansed with specific chemicals to achieve a bond. A special cement is placed between the teeth and the veneer and a visible light beam is used to harden the cement. This appointment takes approximately one hour.

Care and follow up:

Brush and floss daily. Return for a follow-up visit after one to two weeks.

Maintenance of your new Veneers:

Brush and floss as you normally would. Don’t be afraid that you will damage your veneers by brushing and flossing. Non-abrasive toothpaste is recommended. A good home care regimen will insure the best esthetic success of your veneers. You may experience some sensitivity to hot and cold after placement of your veneers. Sensitivity is normal and should dissipate after one to two weeks.

If you are a known clincher or bruxer, please be sure to let us know. The dentist that did your veneers may recommend a soft night guard for you to wear to minimize stress placed upon your teeth while you sleep.

It is a real treat for us to hand the patient a mirror to see their veneers when they are finished. The patient usually makes a comment like, “They are beautiful. I can’t believe they are mine”.