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Posts for tag: porcelain veneers

By Edward Joseph, D.D.S.
January 22, 2019
Category: Dental Procedures
Tags: porcelain veneers  
PorcelainVeneersMightnotbetheBestOptionforTeenagers

For chipped, stained, or slightly crooked teeth, dental veneers might be the ideal solution. These thin layers of porcelain bonded directly over the teeth with the perfect blend of color, sizes and shapes, can transform a person’s smile for a relatively modest cost.

But if the teeth belong to a teenager, veneers might not be appropriate. This is because in most cases, we’ll need to remove some of the tooth enamel so that the applied veneers won’t look unnaturally bulky. This alteration is permanent, so the teeth will require some form of restoration from then on.

While not usually a major issue with fully matured adult teeth, it could be with the developing teeth of pre-teens and teens. During childhood and adolescence the tooth’s inner pulp plays an important role in dentin production, and so the pulp chamber is relatively large compared to an adult tooth. This larger size places the pulp closer to the enamel surface than with an adult tooth.

Because of its proximity to the enamel, there’s a greater chance veneer alterations could damage a teenager’s tooth pulp and its nerve bundles. If that happens, we may need to perform a root canal treatment to save the tooth—also not an optimal situation for a developing tooth.

That’s why we need to take into consideration a patient’s age and stage of dental development first, including x-raying the affected teeth to measure the depth of the tooth pulp. If we deem it too risky at the moment, there are other ways to improve dental appearance at least temporarily. This includes whitening externally stained teeth with a bleaching agent, or applying tooth-colored composite resin material to chipped areas. We can also apply a composite material veneer that, although not as durable as traditional porcelain, doesn’t require much if any tooth alteration.

To know your options, have your teenager undergo a thorough dental examination. Your dentist will then be able to discuss with you whether veneers can be safely attempted. And be sure the dentist who may perform the work has experience performing cosmetic procedures on teenagers.

If you would like more information on restoration choices for teenagers, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Veneers for Teenagers.”

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By Edward Joseph, D.D.S.
October 27, 2015
Category: Dental Procedures
AdvancesinPorcelainVeneersImproveBothStrengthandAppearance

One of the best restorative options for slightly deformed, misaligned or stained teeth is a porcelain veneer. Composed of thin, laminated layers of dental material, the veneer is bonded to the outside of the tooth to transform both its shape and color to blend with other natural teeth.

Veneers are more than a technical process — they’re works of art produced by skilled artisans known as dental lab technicians. They use their skills to shape veneers into forms so life-like they can’t be distinguished from other teeth.

How technicians produce veneers depends on the material used. The mainstay for many years was feldspathic porcelain, a powdered material mixed with water to form a paste, which technicians use to build up layers on top of each other. After curing or “firing” in an oven, the finished veneer can mimic both the color variations and translucency of natural teeth.

Although still in use today, feldspathic porcelain does have limitations. It has a tendency to shrink during firing, and because it’s built up in layers it’s not as strong and shatter-resistant as a single composed piece. To address these weaknesses, a different type of veneer material reinforced with leucite came into use in the 1990s. Adding this mineral to the ceramic base, the core of the veneer could be formed into one piece by pressing the heated material into a mold. But while increasing its strength, early leucite veneers were thicker than traditional porcelain and only worked where extra space allowed for them.

This has led to the newest and most advanced form that uses a stronger type of glass ceramic called lithium disilicate. These easily fabricated veneers can be pressed down to a thickness of three tenths of a millimeter, much thinner than leucite veneers with twice the strength.  And like leucite, lithium disilicate can be milled to increase the accuracy of the fit. It’s also possible to add a layer of feldspathic porcelain to enhance their appearance.

The science — and artistry — of porcelain veneers has come a long way over the last three decades. With more durable, pliable materials, you can have veneers that with proper care could continue to provide you an attractive smile for decades to come.

If you would like more information on dental veneers, please contact us to schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Porcelain Veneers.”

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By Edward Joseph, D.D.S.
August 22, 2013
Category: Dental Procedures
PorcelainVeneersareaViableOptionforSmileTransformation

There are a number of materials and techniques available in cosmetic dentistry that help us improve our patients' smiles. Porcelain veneers stand out as one of the most popular and least interventional of these options.

As the name implies, a veneer is a thin layer of dental restorative material that covers the original tooth surface. Veneers don't require an extensive amount of tooth preparation or removal of sound tooth structure, as with a crown or bridge.

Veneers are made of dental porcelain, a material compatible with living tissue and with a very life-like appearance. The dentist as artist can fashion the porcelain to precisely imitate an individual's natural teeth, including the natural color and hue of surrounding teeth.

Are porcelain veneers an option for you? Only a smile analysis in our office can determine that. Your teeth must be in a somewhat normal position. The teeth in question must have a sufficient amount of remaining tooth structure to support veneers. And you must have symmetrical gum contours that will allow for proper framing of the teeth, which will enhance the final cosmetic result.

If your current dental health meets these criteria, then porcelain veneers could help correct spaces between teeth that aren't too wide, improve poor color, or address poor shape, contours or minor bite problems. Veneers, however, do have their limitations. They aren't effective if you have poor tooth position, if the root positions are widely out of line, or if you have a poor profile. Some form of orthodontics may be needed initially for these situations.

That being said, porcelain veneers are an excellent long-term option in the right situation. Depending on your individual circumstance and how you care for your teeth, a veneer application can last for several years, or if they come loose or become chipped they can be repaired in most cases. The material is strong enough to withstand normal pressures exerted during chewing or biting, as long as you avoid activities like opening nutshells with your teeth or chewing on very hard candy.

Overall, porcelain veneers can give your smile a whole new look with little impact on your remaining tooth structure.

If you would like more information on porcelain veneers, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Smile Design Enhanced With Porcelain Veneers.”

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Edward C. Joseph, D.D.S.
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