Porcelain Veneers
What are porcelain teeth veneers?
When is a porcelain veneer used?
How long do dental veneers last?
Porcelain veneers are a simple and effective method to dramatically correct minor imperfections in teeth and leave patients with dazzling celebrity smiles.
Sound too good to be true? It’s not.
A porcelain veneer (also called dental porcelain laminate) is a wafer thin cover cemented to the surface of a front tooth, and is custom sized, shaped, and colored to create your desired smile.
The ceramic material is translucent, which allows light to reflect off of it much like it reflects off of tooth enamel, making veneers very natural in appearance. As an added bonus, the material won’t stain.
Dental veneers are for your smile what false fingernails are for your hands.
Porcelain veneers can be used to improve the appearance of teeth that:
- are gapped
- are badly stained
- have worn down
- are mildly crooked
- have discolored old fillings
- are chipped or broken
- are poorly sized or misshapen
- have been weakened by loss of, or damage to, the enamel
There are usually three steps involved in getting porcelain veneers:
- Initial diagnosis and consultation
Dental veneers can correct a multitude of problems but not everyone, or every tooth, is a good candidate. Your dentist will ask what your goals and expectations are, examine your teeth, and together you will decide whether one or more of your teeth could benefit from porcelain veneers.
- Preparation and molding
Your dentist will remove a very thin layer – about ½ of a millimeter or less - from the front surface enamel of each tooth to be veneered. This leaves a surface that will be the proper thickness and level with surrounding tissue once the veneer is attached. Then they will take an impression of the tooth in dental molding putty, and this model will be sent to the dental laboratory that will create the custom-shaped veneer.
- Bonding
Before the veneer is cemented to your tooth, your dentist will temporarily place it and make any final adjustments to the size and shape to achieve proper fit. Once satisfied, the tooth will be cleaned and prepared, and then the veneer will be applied using a light-sensitive resin and white light. Because the veneer is translucent, your dentist can adjust the shade of cement resin to achieve the desired color.
Porcelain veneers are very durable and are not affected by hot or cold. With normal care, they will typically last between 5-10 years. If a veneer happens to come loose from your tooth, it’s important to secure the veneer and contact your dentist immediately.
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