Veneers
What are porcelain veneers?
Porcelain veneers are thin shells of ceramic that bond directly to the front and top surfaces of the teeth. They are an ideal choice for improving your smile and have become increasingly popular due to their simplicity and versatility. With veneers as an alternative, you can close gaps between your teeth and correct teeth that are stained, badly shaped or crooked. A veneer placed on top of your teeth can provide a solution for these maladies, simply and quickly, to help you achieve a beautiful smile!
Will they look like normal teeth?
When bonded to the teeth, the ultra-thin porcelain veneers blend beautifully – with a fit like a contact lens 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. Because they are thin and all percelain, light can shine through them and they take on the natural color of the underlying tooth.
How durable are porcelain veneers?
You can break Veneers just as you can break real teeth. You can get decay and gum disease on these teeth just as much as before.
But with proper care, we would expect that 92% of porcelain veneers are still functioning satisfactorily after at least 15 years.
We; will ensure that your veneers are crafted from the highest quality porcelains and are bonded with the most advanced and proven materials.
Traditionally this procedure will require three appointments:
- Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
- Preparation and Temporization
- Bonding
Diagnosis and treatment planning:
You will want to take an active role in planning your smile design. We will initially design the shape of you new teeth either on a model or with a temporary material which can be adjusted until we and most importantly you are happy with the proposed amendment.
Please note that if you wish to change the colour of your other natural teeth, this bleaching must be done prior to the final restoration so we can match the colour.
Preparation:
The second appointment will take one to two hours. Although the porcelain veneer is very thin, the teeth are shaped to allow for the added thickness. Approximately one millimeter of tooth is removed.
Then a mold is taken of the teeth and sent to the lab for fabrication. A temporary veneer may be placed at this time. The veneer should be ready in approximately one to two weeks.
Bonding:
At the time of your third appointment, we will first place the veneer on your teeth with water or glycerin to check their fit and color. At this point the color of the veneer can still be adjusted by the shade of the cement used to adhere it or by addition of suitable tints directly to the porcelain in situ which can then be “glazed” onto the veneer the same visit.
This individual customization allows the final result the best chance of blending into the natural smile.
Once the color is determined, and the veneer is ready to be applied, 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 to two hours.
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 veneer.
You may experience some sensitivity to hot and cold after placement of your veneer. This is due to the change in the tooth during preparation. Sensitivity is often experienced and should dissipate after one to two weeks. If sensitivity persists please call the office.
If you are a known clencher (bruxer), please be sure to let us know. We may recommend a soft night guard for you to wear to minimize stress placed upon your teeth while you sleep.
We hope that your new veneers fulfill your esthetic goal. With proper home care and scheduled visits, they are sure to provide you with a beautiful smile for years to come.
See also CEREC 3D