A Closer Look: Porcelain Veneers 

by: Arthur Glosman DDS

Most people would agree that a smile that is well-formed and dazzles is more pleasing than one that’s dull or misshapen. Further, to have a dazzling smile yourself is a huge incentive to show it off at every possible chance. It’s no coincidence that people with beautiful teeth tend to have more confidence and feel more comfortable conversing with others. For most of us, simply seeing a bright and perfect smile can change our day for the better. Wouldn’t you love to be able to have that affect on a fellow person? Just because you weren’t born with genetically perfect teeth doesn’t mean you can’t someday smile with pride. Your answer may be found with a popular cosmetic dentistry procedure, porcelain veneers.

Anatomy of a Porcelain Veneer

A porcelain veneer is an exceptionally thin piece of porcelain that has been designed, in terms of shape and size, to fit your mouth and smile by covering a tooth that has unappealing features like discoloration, cracks, chips, wear, misalignment, or too much space between it and surrounding teeth. A porcelain veneer is custom made by your cosmetic dentist to match what you and he/she have decided would look best given your individual features and circumstances. Say, for instance, you had a chipped front tooth and wanted something more lasting than a composite bond placed. If you did not also want to whiten your other teeth, then your veneer would be custom colored to match the shade of the others in your mouth and shaped to appropriately fill the area left when you original tooth chipped. If, conversely, your wanted to re-do all of your visible teeth to make them whiter, straighter, and overall more appealing, this too is made not only possible, but easy when veneers are used.

My Teeth Just Need to be Whitened, Why Veneers?

It’s true that teeth whitening treatments are now more accessible than ever and for some, whose smile looks great and balanced but lacks the glow that comes with white teeth, may be an option. From over the counter treatments to professional take home products to in-office treatments, there exists an option for most people that strictly desire whiter teeth. However, for those that suffer more severe staining, such as that caused by tetracycline or excessive fluoride consumption, porcelain veneers may be the only viable option as even the most intense whitening programs may not work 100% of the time.

Porcelain Veneer Placement and Longevity

In placing dental veneers, a two or three step process will be undertaken with your cosmetic dentist. The first one or two visits (based on how you arrange to have things done) will consist of consultation and the preparing of your tooth or teeth that are to receive the veneers. During consultation, your cosmetic dentist will work hard with you to find the right shade and color for the veneer to be made. Remember, it’s his/her job to meet your expectations, so be sure your ideas and expectations are understood and that your cosmetic dentist is artistically inclined enough to meet them. Ask to see prior patient’s results to give you a better feeling.  

Once a plan has been made, the preparation will begin. This preparation typically consists of a mild anesthetic to the area of the teeth to be treated, followed by the shaving off of a thin layer of the tooth’s enamel to allow a place for the veneer to be bonded. Some shaping may also be done to allow optimal placement when the veneers are ready to go on. Once shaped, an impression of your teeth is taken so that a mold may be created and sent to a lab for the veneers to be made. The third (or second, based on the first visit) visit will consist of the cosmetic dentist attaching your veneers with a thin bonding material, typically after cleaning and, possibly, etching your tooth slightly to provide a rougher and hence more stable surface to attach to. This session may involve your cosmetic dentist removing and repositioning your veneer multiple times to get the placement and shaping just right.

The Aftermath

So that’s it! Your porcelain veneers are in place and your smile is new and looking great. While there is no real recovery time from this procedure, people may occasionally experience more sensitivity to hot and cold on the teeth that were covered as the enamel was shaved thinner and the mouth is adjusting, but this typically goes away within days. As the porcelain is a durable and relatively stain-resistant material, with proper care veneers could last 10 – 15 years. Avoid abusing your veneers in similar ways to avoiding abuse of normal teeth and your new smile will shine bright for every day you have them.

Dr. Glosman DDS is a practicing aesthetic and reconstructive dentist located in Beverly Hills California. You can read more about him in the Summer 2009 Cosmetic Dentist Review at Dr Arthur Glosman Featured Cosmetic Dentist Review or visit his website at www.arthurglosmandds.com

by Dr. A. G. – July 8, 2005