Porcelain Veneers

Dental Veneers in Gainesville, GA

What are Porcelain Veneers?

Porcelain veneers, sometimes also termed dental veneers or dental porcelain laminates, are one of cosmetic dentistry’s more recent developments.

These wafer-thin shells of porcelain, which are bonded onto the front side of teeth, can be an excellent cosmetic solution for teeth that are stained, chipped, or slightly misaligned.

Porcelain veneers are used in dental extreme makeovers in cosmetic dentistry practices everyday. Porcelain veneers are used to: close gaps in teeth, fix chipped teeth, improve a gummy smile, lengthen short teeth, and improve your overall smile. Many Hollywood stars have porcelain veneers put on as an alternative to traditional teeth whitening methods. With porcelain dental veneers you can actually choose the shade you want and they are resistant to staining. Porcelain veneers will give you the whitest smile imaginable.

What happens during the porcelain dental veneer procedure?

Patients need three appointments for the entire procedure: diagnosis and treatment planning, preparation, and bonding.

Diagnosis and treatment planning: It is critical that you take an active role in the smile design. Spend time in the decision-making and planning of your smile. Understand the corrective limitations of the procedure. Have more than one consultation, if necessary, to feel comfortable that your dentist understands your objectives.

Preparation of teeth: This appointment will take from one to two hours. To prepare the teeth for the porcelain veneers, the teeth are lightly buffed to allow for the small added thickness of the veneer. Usually, about a half a millimeter of the tooth is removed, which may require a local anesthetic. At this appointment, a mold is taken of the teeth, which is sent to the laboratory for the fabrication of the dental veneers. This can take about one to two weeks. If the teeth are too unsightly a temporary veneer can be placed, at an additional cost.

Bonding of dental veneers: This appointment will take about one or two hours. First, the dentist places the dental veneers with water or glycerin on the teeth to check their fit and get a sense of the shade or color. While the dental veneers are resting on your teeth, view the esthetic results, and pay particular attention to the color. At this point, the color of the porcelain veneers can still be adjusted with the shade of the cement to be used. The color cannot be altered after the dental veneers are cemented. To apply the porcelain veneer, the tooth is cleansed with specific chemicals to achieve a bond. Once a special cement is sandwiched between the porcelain veneer and tooth, a visible light beam initiates the release of a catalyst to harden the cement.

What are the advantages of porcelain veneers over other types of cosmetic dental bonding?

Two of the greatest advantages of porcelain veneers over other types of cosmetic dental bonding are:

• 

  Porcelain veneers create a very life-like tooth appearance.

  You might be surprised to learn that while yes, a major component of teeth is enamel, they are not solid enamel. The enamel component of a tooth is actually only an outer shell.

• Porcelain dental veneers resist staining.

  Cosmetic dental bonding materials utilized in the past had the shortcoming of being susceptible to staining and discoloring. This was especially a problem for those people whose teeth had excessive exposure to tea, coffee, red wine, or cigarette smoking.

  A significant advantage of porcelain veneers over other types of cosmetic dental bonding is related to the fact that a porcelain veneer’s surface is just that, porcelain. Since porcelain is a ceramic, and therefore glass-like, its surface is extremely smooth and impervious. This means that the surface of a porcelain veneer will not pick up permanent stains.

How about maintenance?

For about a week or two, you will go through a period of adjustment as you get used to your new teeth that have been changed in size and shape. Brush and floss daily. After one or two weeks, you’ll return for a follow-up appointment.

For a complimentary consultation to learn more and see if porcelain veneers are right for you, call or email us today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Weber in Gainesville, GA.