Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are ultra thin shells of porcelain which are bonded onto the front surface of the teeth to make them appear naturally white. Nowadays very superior and advanced qualities of porcelain are available. Therefore, the veneers appear very natural and last for many years without any damage, and without the need for any special care or maintenance.

Porcelain veneers are ideally used when the patient suffers from very dark, discolored or stubbornly stained teeth that cannot be improved with a teeth whitening solution. If one or more teeth suffer from minor gaps, or slight chip or breakage, such conditions may also be improved with porcelain veneers.

An experienced dentist will examine the patient’s smile and teeth by making them talk. This allows the dentist to see the number of teeth that are visible at the time of talking and smiling. Depending on that, the dentist will advise on the number of veneers and the type of treatment that the patient may need to achieve an improved smile.

During the veneer placement process, if the need arises for the removal of some of your tooth structure to change the shape of your teeth, or if the teeth were aligned from a crooked position, the dentist may place temporary veneers to give the patient an idea of how the final veneers will look and feel. With this step, the patients are able to test their speech, the new smile line and the new color.

An experienced dentist will usually provide the patient with different veneer options. From a technical perspective, depending on the lab that the dentist uses, the porcelain in the veneers will be of a different chemical composition and it will either be layered or non-layered. From a brand name perspective, the patient may have the option of choosing different brands with different quality levels and different pricing structures.

Once the porcelain veneers are placed and bonded onto the teeth, the patient is required to exercise caution in certain situations. It is advisable not to use excessive force to bite or crack things such as hard nuts, candy and anything else which would cause excessive amounts of stress on the veneers, causing them to chip. Opening plastic bags and bottle caps with the teeth would also be discouraged.

Most dentists agree that for the right type of candidate, porcelain veneers act as a good alternative to braces. Even though patients are encouraged to use braces to get treated for their condition because it is a natural treatment methodology, for some patients time and aesthetics are more important determining factors. Patients involved in public and professional careers who are uncomfortable with wearing braces and who need a quick fix solution often choose porcelain veneers over braces. But this helps only in cases where the patient needs just a minor improvement in terms of teeth gaps or uneven positioning.