Veneers Specialist

What are dental veneers?

Veneers are very thin shells made of a translucent, tooth-like material such as porcelain or ceramic. veneers bond to the front of your teeth, to improve the color, shape, and spacing of your teeth. Once in place, veneers can closely resemble your natural teeth or produce a brighter shade, if your natural teeth are stained or discolored. Although several materials can achieve good results, including resin composites, porcelain generally produces the most natural appearance, while providing the best stain resistance.

Veneers are usually the choice to fix problems such as:

• Stains from food and drink
• Tooth discoloration due to fillings, root canals, or stains due to drugs
• Excessive tooth wear
• Chipped and broken teeth
• Uneven or misshapen teeth
• Gaps between adjacent teeth

Your dentist at Willow Glen Dental Center can help you decide whether veneers are the best solution for your oral health goals. Because your dentist needs to remove a small amount of enamel from your teeth to accommodate your veneers, this is usually an irreversible procedure.

What can I expect when I receive dental veneers?

Dental veneers typically need three visits to Willow Glen Dental Center, depending on the work required in your case. Your dentist creates a personalized plan for your veneers, discusses what you hope to achieve, and how the final results should look. This may be part of a regular dental visit when discussing your ongoing dental care.

Once you’ve made the decision to proceed, your first visit will be about two hours and involves preparing the teeth. A small amount of tooth enamel, around half a millimeter, must be removed to both make room for the veneer and to create a bonding surface. A dental impression is then made, which serves as the working model from which the dental lab creates your custom veneers. The manufacturing process may take several weeks.

The bonding visit starts with placement and adjustment, as each veneer is examined for fit and trimmed, if necessary.  A visible light beam, or laser, causes a catalyst to be released, hardening the cement. There is a final cleaning, polishing, and etching of the teeth receiving the veneers prior to permanent cementing. This cement may be tinted to adjust the color seen through the translucent veneers.

How do I care for my dental veneers?

In one or two weeks, you’ll return for a follow-up at Willow Glen Dental Center to make sure everything is functioning properly. You should brush and floss your teeth as you always have, including regular checkups to assure the health of your teeth and the integrity of the veneers. Though porcelain resists stains well, you may wish to avoid food and drink that typically cause dental staining. Veneers typically have a lifespan of about 10 years or longer.

To learn more about whether veneers are the right option for you, call Willow Glen Dental Center or book an appointment online today.