veneers

What is a porcelain veneer?

right side viewA porcelain veneer is an excellent looking wafer-thin shell bonded to the front, side and edge of a tooth, designed to change the way it looks. Although porcelain is inherently brittle, when it is firmly bonded to a sturdy substructure like tooth enamel it becomes very strong and durable.

That is why they are best when done on teeth which have few or only small fillings and which require minor modification of shape or colour.

left side viewThey are used to improve teeth that are:

  • Lightly discoloured
  • Worn
  • Chipped
  • Slightly misaligned
Porcelain veneers are usually chosen because of their exceptional aesthetics and because they involve much less tooth reduction compared to crowns. Being glass-like is a great advantage over other types of cosmetic dental bonding because of translucency. When they are bonded onto a tooth’s surface they mimic the light handling characteristics of the enamel beneath. This translucency provides a sense of depth, and thus a very life-like appearance. Being glass-like also means an extremely smooth and impervious surface that will not pick up permanent stains.

how long should veneers last?

There are no hard and fast rules about how long porcelain veneers will last. While you can certainly expect veneers to last many years, it is unrealistic to expect them to last forever. With good home care and by exercising good judgment, it seems likely that a porcelain veneer could last well in excess of ten years. Tips for maximizing the lifespan of your porcelain veneers include:

  • Practice good oral home care
  • Avoid exposing porcelain veneers to excessive forces
  • Avoid clenching and grinding the teeth
  • Minimize influences which stain near the edges of the veneers (coffee, tea, smoking)
  • Wear a nighttime protective appliance (splint) to minimize the effects of nighttime grinding or clenching

stages involved

Preparation (one but sometimes two appointments)

  • Removal of existing filling materials from the tooth or teeth to be veneered.
  • Replacement of any underlying fillings with composite resin)
  • Veneer preparation (removal of 0.5–1.5mm of tooth structure from the front and biting edge of the tooth)
  • Detailed impression
  • Impression of the opposing teeth, face bow and bite registration
  • Provisional veneer construction

Issue (usually 2-3 weeks later, sometimes two appointments if modifications are required)

  • Removal of the provisional restorations
  • Cleaning of the tooth and isolation of the margin
  • Bonding of the veneers