Veneers – part one
Hi friendly readers. I’m back from a brief blog-sabbatical. Thanks for your patience!
Let’s talk about dental veneers for a bit. Veneers are one of the most popular and effective ways to improve the appearance of a person’s smile. A dental veneer is a restoration that covers the front part of a tooth. Unlike a crown, a veneer does not add strength to a tooth; however, it can repair defects like chips or jagged edges.
There are two types of dental veneers. The first are porcelain, lab-fabricated veneers. The other type is direct composite veneers, which we will discuss in the next posting.
The reasons you might want veneers for your teeth are: dark or discolored teeth, uneven, mishaped, jagged, broken, chipped, or crooked teeth.
A porcelain veneer is a thin shell of porcelain that is custom-made in the appropriate shade/color and then bonded onto the front, visible surface of the tooth.
The procedure normally consists of two office visits. At the first, the dentist numbs the teeth to be treated. He/she then prepares the teeth for veneers by removing about 1/2 of a millimeter of the structure on the front surface of each tooth. Then, a very accurate impression is made and sent to the dental laboratory. Sometimes temporary veneers are made and temporarily bonded to the teeth, and sometimes this isn’t necessary. At the second visit, the dentist tries in the porcelain veneers and ensures that the fit and shape are perfect and that the shade matches the desired goal. If everything looks correct, the pieces are bonded to the teeth with a very strong cement.
Once the veneers are bonded on, they are very strong. They should last for many years, and they typically only need to be replaced if decay is present. So it is very important to keep up with routine dental cleanings and to take excellent care of your teeth at home.
Let me know if you have any questions about veneers!
-dr z
