Porcelain Veneers Will Make You Smile

For decades, dental bonding has been the only option for dealing with chipped or uneven teeth.  Dentists have materials that create a tight bond with the tooth giving a more uniform and clean appearance overall.  Over time teeth will begin to lose their luster and retain discoloration due to enamel loss, the thin coating on your teeth that protects and gives a deep shine.  Dental bonding does a good job of addressing these issues but there is an even better type of material available today.  These are called porcelain veneers.

Porcelain veneers have a several unique advantages over traditional dental bonding agents.  Porcelain veneers are used primarily to coat teeth that have lost their luster due to wear and discoloration.  This application of porcelain veneer is done when stains or discoloration is bad enough to warrant bypassing teeth whitening.  Porcelain veneer is also a good option for worn or damaged teeth to be strengthened.  Your dentist may recommend teeth whitening over a porcelain veneer if the discoloration can be removed.  For damaged or worn teeth there are other options as well that you may first want to discuss with your dentist.

Chipped, cracked or uneven teeth may be good candidates for porcelain veneer treatment.  In some cases even dental crowns can be replaced by using porcelain veneers.  Porcelain veneers have an aesthetic advantage over the old dental bonding techniques of the past.  Dental bonding techniques give a uniform appearance to the teeth and have a whitening effect as well.  However, the teeth appear dull and not lifelike at all.  When the enamel on your teeth is healthy your teeth have a lustrous appearance that gives them a deep shine.  This is due to the enamel coating you have naturally.  Porcelain veneers replicate this lustrous shine and make your new teeth look more natural.

The application of porcelain veneer to teeth is much more user patient friendly as well.  The application of a porcelain veneer begins with a minute trimming of the tooth enamel to be covered.  This is such a small amount that Novocain may not even be necessary.  An impression of the tooth is then made with putty.  This can be sent off to a laboratory for fabrication or, if your dentist has a milling machine in the office, created right there and bonded into place.  However, most dentists prefer to send the impression off as they feel the porcelain veneer gets a better fit.

The benefits of porcelain veneer over old style dental bonding are obvious.  With a more lustrous look and better protection for the teeth, porcelain veneer is the 21^st century dental treatment.