Veneers
What are Porcelain Veneers?
Porcelain veneers are thin shells of ceramic that bond directly to the front surfaces of the teeth. They are an ideal choice for improving your smile and have become increasingly popular due to their effectiveness and versatility.
Placing custom veneers requires a high degree of technical skill as well as attention to cosmetic detail. We place veneers routinely, and design each case individually to match and enhance the characteristics of each patient’s smile. It takes a highly trained artistic eye, as well as skill level to create beautiful, yet natural looking smiles by using porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers are usually the option of choice when creating a big change in a patient’s smile. Porcelain veneers can be used to change color, shape, size, positioning, and inclination of teeth. A drastic change can be created by using porcelain veneers.
Will my porcelain veneers look like normal teeth?
When bonded to the teeth, the ultra-thin porcelain veneers are virtually undetectable and highly resistant to coffee, tea, or even cigarette stains. For strength and appearance, their resemblance to healthy, white tooth enamel is unsurpassed by other restorative options.
How durable are porcelain veneers?
Dr. Greenwald and Dr. Williams will ensure that your veneers are crafted from the highest quality porcelains and are bonded with the most advanced and proven materials available.
Porcelain veneers are extremely durable. Their length of service will depend on many factors including level of home care and being careful not to overload the veneers. Refraining from using your veneers as tools to open and cut things will prolong their life, and if accidental breakage or damage occurs, it is usually possible to replace only the veneer involved.
Bonding
Bonding is an alternative to veneers, and can be used as a restorative procedure for teeth that are chipped, cracked, discolored or misaligned, as well as closing spaces between teeth.
How does it work?
The tooth is prepared for the procedure by lightly etching the surface and applying a bonding liquid. Once the liquid sets, a plastic resin is applied and sculpted into the desired shape by the dentist. Once set, the resin is trimmed, smoothed and polished to a natural appearance.
Considerations
The bonding procedure can often be completed in a single office visit, and can improve the appearance of a tooth significantly. However, since the plastic resin used is not as strong as your natural tooth enamel, it is more likely to stain, chip or break than natural teeth. Bonding may last three to five years before need of repair. Bonding is most useful as a filling material for decayed teeth, and for closing spaces between teeth. Bonding does not offer as good a cosmetic result when compared to porcelain veneers, in most cases.