Porcelain veneers are an increasingly attractive option for patients who are looking to permanently improve their smile! These unobtrusive but resilient protective shells are visually indistinguishable from the rest of your teeth, easy to install, and easy to care for — read on to learn more about how they work!
Porcelain veneers are custom-made coverings made from thin, tooth-colored porcelain that are permanently attached to the front surfaces of individual teeth. They can be used to repair a wide range of dental abnormalities, including the following:
If necessary, your dentist will remove a small section of enamel from the front of the treated tooth in order to make room for the porcelain veneer before its placement. Next, they will create an impression of said tooth in order to determine the right color and shape for your veneer, with the goal of designing a veneer that will appear to seamlessly fit in alongside the surrounding tooth!
This impression is then forwarded to a lab that will craft the veneers themselves – a process that might take multiple days, depending on whether the lab is a secondary location or already located on-site within the dentist’s office. Once your dentist has your veneers, they will be placed onto your teeth, where any necessary adjustments for fit or shape will be applied. After this fitting, the porcelain veneers will finally be permanently bonded to your teeth!
Porcelain veneers aren’t the only restorative dental treatment available to patients, but they are among the most long-lasting. While crowns and veneers are both designed to repair the appearance of broken, misshapen, and otherwise damaged teeth, their differences lie in the method and extent of treatment: crowns cover the entire tooth whereas veneers are only attached to the front surface of the tooth.
Instead of medical-grade porcelain, composite resin veneers are made from a tooth-colored resin with a putty-like consistency. They can be carefully sculpted by your dentist before the bonding process, which occurs once the veneers are exposed to a special light that causes them to harden. Composite resin veneers generally require less enamel removal and installation time in comparison to their porcelain counterparts, and can be easily fixed if damaged — however, the material is also less tough and durable than porcelain.
While porcelain veneers can potentially require more time and money to install than crowns and composite resin veneers, they’re also an invaluable investment if your goal is to secure the long-term aesthetic and medical stability of your teeth through a minimally invasive procedure. Additionally, if you’re looking for whiter teeth but haven’t had success with surface bleaching treatments because the discoloration stems from an intrinsic dental problem, porcelain veneers provide an elegant solution!
Porcelain veneers allow you to preserve more of the existing tooth structure relative to crowns, and are generally more stain-resistant and longer-lasting than composite resin veneers – assuming proper care, their average lifespan is ten to fifteen years in comparison to the estimated five to seven years of composite resin veneers.
Nope! Installing porcelain veneers is a painless and minimally invasive process. The only surgical action occurs during the preliminary stage of treatment, in which a small amount of surface tooth enamel is trimmed away to make room for the veneers — we offer local anesthesia during this process, so you shouldn’t be able to feel a thing.
Another common myth about porcelain veneers is that they can result in increased tooth sensitivity, when in fact the opposite is true! Because they form a new layer atop both the inner dentin layer and the enamel that would normally comprise your tooth’s chewing surface, they can provide an additional layer of protection from triggers that might otherwise induce pain, such as extreme heat and cold — making them an effective treatment for sensitive teeth as well as damaged ones.
Porcelain veneers shouldn’t require any specialized care outside of your typical recommended oral care routine of brushing twice a day, flossing at least once daily, and attending your routine dental checkups every six months! One additional advantage of porcelain veneers is that they’re less susceptible to staining from pigmented foods and beverages, such as black tea and dark fruit — though they can still stain your surrounding natural teeth, so it’s important to keep up a consistent tooth cleaning regimen. Habits such as tobacco usage, chewing tough foods like ice and hard candy, and grinding teeth can also still damage the shells, so cutting these down can help maximize your porcelain veneers’ lifespan.
While veneers themselves can be replaced over the course of your lifetime, it’s important to note that they’re an irreversible procedure since the initial enamel removal performed by your dentist is permanent.
While porcelain veneers are a surefire way to lend your smile permanent protection, it’s important to remember that everyone’s teeth are different – and different teeth have different needs! If you experience any of the following, you should consult your dentist to figure out whether porcelain veneers are your best treatment option:
If you’re looking for a seamless long-term solution to correct your damaged teeth, porcelain veneers are one of the most durable and cost-effective options available! It’s never too late to regain the perfect smile you’ve always wanted.
We have many solutions to assist our Gardena clients with making the right choice when they replace their permanent teeth depending on their lifestyle, budget, and personal preferences.
Wondering whether porcelain veneers are right for you? Call Dentist of Gardena at (424) 321-7470 and one of our friendly dentists can help you figure out what treatment option will best suit your smile!