Porcelain Veneer Applications - By: Patricia Woloch

As we age, our teeth take a real beating. A lifetime of chewing, biting, and improper care makes a real dent on our oral health. Decay occurs, resulting in teeth weakened by constant drilling and filling. Tooth loss and unsightly stains become more prevalent. If you require a more conservative update to your mouth than crowns or dentures, you might consider applying veneers to brighten your smile. Porcelain veneers are good for a variety of cosmetic dentistry applications.

Porcelain veneers are the most attractive veneers available, and match the enamel of the original tooth most closely. Once the appropriate color is determined and the proper fit created, the veneers are bonded to the existing tooth. The veneer is meant to be a permanent fixture and will remain in good condition when properly tended.

Most veneers are between .5 to .7 mm thick. To fill gaps between teeth, the veneer can be offset to one side or another to fill in gaps between teeth. Careful examination and measurements must be made to ensure that the teeth do not appear unnaturally wide. Both teeth surrounding the gap are usually covered.

A crooked or misshapen tooth can be corrected in a similar manner. The back of the veneer would match the front of the natural tooth, but the front of the veneer can be corrected and straightened to fit better with surrounding teeth. Chipped or broken teeth that do not affect the root or nerve endings can be corrected with a veneer. Once bonded to the tooth, the veneer acts as a splint to prevent further tooth damage.

Stained teeth and previously placed metal fillings can also be covered easily with the application of a porcelain veneer. Porcelain is smooth and non-porous and will not stain with tobacco use or when imbibing strongly colored beverages. Unhealthy teeth filled with decay cannot have a veneer applied. Any decay or gum disease must be corrected prior to the application of a veneer.

Weakened teeth due to large fillings may not accept bonding to the veneer properly. Most underlying dental problems with decay and gum disease need to be treated prior to applying a veneer. If there is not enough enamel already on the tooth, to allow slimming it down by .5 to .7 mm, a porcelain veneer is not recommended.

Porcelain veneers are more fragile than regular teeth and care must be taken to prevent hard use. People who habitually grind their teeth are not good candidates for porcelain veneers. A mouth guard may be prescribed if the condition is not too severe. While porcelain veneers can correct some individual tooth misalignment or gapping, it cannot address severely misaligned teeth. Orthodontic treatments might be indicated to correct this problem.

In most dental offices, the process of creating and applying dental veneers is at least a two-appointment process. First, the doctor will prepare the teeth for the veneers, match the colors, and take impressions to send off to the dental laboratory to be created. A temporary veneer is put in place. At the second visit, when the lab finishes the final veneer, the dentist bonds the veneer to the tooth. A more recent development allows for the fabrication of the veneer in the dental office, reducing the number of visits and the amount of time patient needs to wait to acquire the final results, fresh, whit teeth and a brighter, more healthy looking smile.

When deciding on cosmetic dentistry options, it is best to find a dentist who is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Members of the academy are trained specifically in the application of dental veneers and other procedures to improve the aesthetic appearances of teeth.

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Contact Discover Dental Care in Kansas for more information about porcelain veneers and other cosmetic dentistry options for you.

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