Veneers

Porcelain Veneers
The best veneers are the ones that mimic nature.
We specialize in smiles that everyone will notice but they won't know why. Perfectly imperfect, just like a natural smile.
If you have teeth that appear too small, uneven, chipped, or have dark stains, porcelain veneers may be a great choice for you.

WHAT TO EXPECT

What is a Porcelain Veneer?

You can think of a porcelain veneer a lot like a contact lens, but for your teeth! Porcelain veneers are extremely thin (0.3mm, about the thickness of a business card) sheets of porcelain that are bonded to the front of your tooth. Porcelain is the material of choice because it most naturally replicates human enamel. They are used to change the shape, color, size, and symmetry of the teeth and smile.


Advanced Technology

The porcelain systems we have today are technologically much different than they were in the past. You may have seen veneers that remind you of Chiclets. That look is indicative of old-school dentistry, where very opaque and monochromatic porcelain was used, OR it was a porcelain crown fused to metal. The advanced technology we have today produces veneers that are:

  • Stronger

  • More translucent, like your natural teeth

  • Super thin

  • The best option for creating a beautiful, natural smile!



Smile Analysis and Design


Porcelain Veneers


The Difference Between Composite and Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are thin shells of porcelain adhered to the outer-surface of the tooth.

Composite veneers are engineered resin affixed to the outer-surface. Both are made to match your teeth (or whiten) and improve your overall smile.

What type of Veneer is right for me?

Time

The quicker of the two dental veneers to be applied to the teeth are composite veneers. This is because they can be done chairside in the same visit. Your dentist will match the resin to the shade of your surrounding teeth for the most natural look. The resin is added to your teeth, cured and then polished. You can walk out the same day with a new smile!

Porcelain veneers typically take at least two visits. Your dentist will remove a very thin layer of your teeth, take an impression of the teeth receiving the veneers and send the mold out to a lab. While you are waiting on your veneer(s) to be fabricated you can wear temporary veneers. When you come back for your second visit, your porcelain veneers will be bonded to your teeth with cement.

Durability

With proper care, porcelain veneers should last 10-15 years. Composite veneers, on the other hand, typically last 2-4 years (sometimes less). While porcelain is fragile, once bonded to a healthy tooth it is extremely durable. Composite is durable but not as strong as porcelain and is more prone to chipping. However, if damage were to happen to a porcelain veneer, it would have to be replaced, it cannot be repaired. If you chip a composite veneer, you can repair it.

Aesthetics

The translucent properties of porcelain allow the veneer to catch light extremely similar to the way a natural tooth does. While composite resin still looks great, porcelain is unmatched. An incredible benefit of porcelain veneers is they are stain resistant. If you receive this type of veneer on most of your upper and lower teeth, this could mean no more having to whiten your natural teeth. Composite resin will stain like natural teeth.

Another thing to note is porcelain veneers are not reversible, composite veneers are if you were to be unhappy at any point.

Cost

Porcelain veneers are more expensive than composite initially. The placement of porcelain takes more time, expertise and resources. The dental lab’s dentists work with are chosen very carefully and cost money to fabricate restorations. If you break down costs by how often you would have to replace/repair composite verse porcelain though, the cost could come out even over time.