Dental Veneers

What will my dentist do?

Some veneers are built up on the tooth directly using white filling material, while you are with your dentist. Others are made of porcelain by a dental technician, from an impression of the tooth. You will have to visit the dentist more than once for this type of veneer.

  • Your dentist will check any fillings in the teeth first.
  • Very little tooth preparation is needed, just enough to prevent the veneer making the tooth feel bulky, so it may not be necessary to numb the tooth.
  • For veneers made in the surgery, (a composite veneer) the surface of the tooth is roughened with a mild acid. Then white filling is applied in layers until the teeth look right.
  • For a veneer made by a dental technician, (a porcelain veneer) the dentist will take an impression first. This shows how the teeth bite together as well as telling the technician the shape and size of veneer that is needed.
  • Your dentist will glue the veneer made by the technician to the tooth when you next visit.

Veneers can get chipped, in the way natural teeth can, if the tooth is traumatized. Otherwise, if cared for in the same way that you care for your natural teeth, veneers are very durable. 

What are the benefits?

·    Veneers can greatly improve your appearance. They hide imperfections and provide a smooth, glossy finish. You lose very little natural tooth.

·    Veneers also protect the teeth from any more damage. For example, acids in food or drinks or from the stomach can cause your teeth to wear away. The teeth become thin and weak but veneers can protect them.

·    If the tooth is strong, a veneer is often a better option than a crown for improving a tooth’s appearance.  

·    Veneers can also straighten your teeth (in the way orthodontics can) but in addition they can also change the size, shape and colour if desired.                         

The preparation of two upper incision for veneers

   
 2 discoloured upper incisions  Removal of dark surface enamel
   
 Shaping of teeth  Temporary veneers worn for 2 weeks
   
 Porcelain veneers made in laboratory  Veneers checked
   
 Permanent veneers  A beautiful transformation