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Porcelain Veneers

A porcelain veneer is a cosmetic procedure that involves some reduction on the facial or frontal surface of the tooth or teeth so that a porcelain covering can be luted onto the teeth. Compared to dental crowns, it is less invasive because it does not require full crown reduction, leaving much of the tooth untouched and preserved. Compared to composite resin bondings, on the other hand, patients get to enjoy a more durable and more aesthetically pleasing cosmetic work because of the extra retentive property afforded by the cement or luting resin.

Like most prosthetic work, during the first appointment, all necessary tooth reduction will be performed on the tooth and a dental impression will be taken so that a cast can be created from it. The cast will be used to fabricate the dental veneer and it will be constructed on the desired shape, size, form and shade to meet the most aesthetic results.

Indications of Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain Veneers can be indicated for all kinds of cases:

  1. It can be prescribed in lieu of an orthodontic treatment with traditional braces or Invisalign to correct minor misalignment and malposition of teeth. If a patient is dealing with minor crowding, spacing and other alignment problems, she can do away with the lengthy orthodontic procedure and receive an instant smile transformation through porcelain veneers.
  2. Teeth whitening procedures are able to brighten and lighten teeth, making the smile so much more attractive. Unfortunately, the impressive results that you are able to enjoy with a teeth whitening procedure is only temporary. Porcelain veneers will give patients the chance to have their teeth permanently white.
  3. Normal dental fillings on the facial surface of the teeth have the tendency to discolour and deteriorate after some time. Resin composite filling materials are not that durable and they may need to be replaced every so often. I you have multiple restorations on the anterior teeth, you can choose to cover your teeth with porcelain veneers, instead, to achieve a more even appearance in terms of form and color.
  4. Stains that are caused by chemicals, much like fluorosis and tetracycline are very unsightly and they usually do not respond very well to teeth whitening procedures. A better solution that will brighten and transform a patient’s smile can be given through porcelain veneers.
  5. A diastema is a space found in between two teeth. usually it is found in between the central incisors of the upper jaw and it is commonly caused by the height of the frenum attachment being lower that it should be. Orthodontic procedures will solve this but it is such a lengthy procedure for a simple problem. Bondings can also close the gap, but if you are looking for a more retentive and definitely attractive restoration, porcelain veneers will do the trick.
  6. Dental crowns are performed by reducing the tooth and all surfaces. It is quite invasive, and if the transformation requirement is more superficial, porcelain veneers will provide a more conservative approach because only the facial surface of the tooth or teeth will be reduced.

Apart from porcelain, veneers can also be constructed using ceramic. In terms of aesthetics, ceramic is known to best mimic the appearance and shade of the natural teeth, but it slightly less superior in strength to porcelain.