Dental Porcelain Veneers

What are Dental Porcelain Veneers? They are a thin wafer like ceramic material that is custom made to be bonded onto a discolored, chipped, worn or mildly mal-aligned tooth. It gives excellent esthetic properties because of its translucency that mimics actual enamel of a tooth.  Most patients chose to have their six or eight front teeth prepared for Veneers, as this gives the best esthetic results.  However, a single Veneer can be done to match your other teeth.   Here are some common reasons some choose to have Veneers: 

• Permanently stained teeth (tetracycline staining, fluorosis)
• Mildly chipped or worn teeth which fillings are more likely to not hold up.
• Spaced teeth or slight mal-alignment teeth.
• You wanted to change the color of the teeth to a permanent shade without whitening. 

What is the process to complete Veneers?
Dr. Faddis would start with a complete oral examination, which would involve taking dental x-rays of your teeth.  An evaluation will be done at that time, to make sure your a good candidate to receive Veneers.  Dr. Faddis will discuss your expectations and what you would like the end result to look like.  In some cases, we will have you consult with our dental lab that will be designing your Veneers.   The shade, shape and any questions you may have will be answered prior to your appointment when the teeth are prepared for Veneers.  A dental Porcelain Veneer preparation in most cases, involves trimming 0.5mm to 0.7mm of the external surface of the tooth extending over the contact point of the tooth with its adjacent teeth.  An impression (dental mold) of the prepared tooth or teeth will be taken and sent to the dental laboratory. It will usually take 1 to 2 weeks for the Veneers to be made, then are fitted and placed with a bonding cement.  If you are interested in Veneers, give us a call for a free consultation!