Dental veneers are custom made, extremely thin porcelain or resin composite restorations permanently bonded to natural teeth. They are most often placed on front teeth, and sometimes on premolar teeth (side teeth) to improve/enhance your appearance. Dental veneers are considered very durable, aesthetic restorations; however, they also in many cases can serve to restore an ideal bite relationship and function.
What type of dental situations can dental veneers treat?
- Stained/discolored teeth
- Uneven, crowded teeth
- Worn, chipping teeth
- Gaps/spaces in teeth
- Improper bite relationship (bad bite)
The process of fabricating dental veneers involves at the minimum 4 appointments, and sometimes more. The first appointment includes digital photos of the patient's teeth, dental impressions where precise copies of teeth are made, and a bite registration is taken. This allows the dentist to examine the teeth, smile, and bite after the patient leaves the office. It is on these models that a veneer wax-up is created mimicking the final look of the veneers.
The second appointment is a consultation with the dentist to go over the proposed treatment plan i.e.) estimated length of treatment, teeth involved, fees involved. It is at this appointment where the patient examines her proposed new veneers made of wax. Feedback is given to the dentist to see if any changes need to be made to enhance/change the look.
If there is mutual agreement with the wax-up, then the next appointment involves preparing the teeth for veneers. Teeth are minimally reduced (0.3-0.5 millimeters), impressions taken, and temporary veneers are fabricated. Patients leave this appointment with new temporary teeth to try out. During this temporary phase the patient gets to evaluate the comfort, look and feel of the new teeth. If there are any adjustments, they are performed on the temporaries. Once there is mutual satisfaction with the temporaries, a dental lab custom fabricates permanent veneers to match the temporaries as close as possible.
The next appointment involves taking off the temporaries, and bonding on the new veneers. Slight adjustments are made to the bite, and photos are taken!
Dental veneers are a great choice for many people; however, they are not for everyone. Vita Dental will be able to answer all your questions and together you can decide on the best course of treatment.
