Porcelain Veneers

When you are looking for a way to brighten up your smile or give it a drastically new aesthetic, dental veneers are able to accommodate virtually any cosmetic change that you would like to make. Veneers are a permanent dental appliance that is made to fit over the front of your anterior (front) teeth to give them whatever look you desire. They can be placed either directly or indirectly and offer a wide variety of uses.

Direct Dental Veneers

Direct dental veneers are typically placed same-day and are simply composite dental resin. We use this resin in tooth colored fillings to give patients fillings that match the color and aesthetic of their natural tooth perfectly. Direct dental veneers are often referred to as dental bonding.

Indirect Dental Veneers

Indirect dental veneers usually require two appointments to our office to complete. The first appointment will consist of preparing the teeth to receive the veneers and taking an impression of them to send to our dental lab. The lab will create porcelain replicas of your teeth that we will place over your existing teeth to give you the exact look you desire from your smile.

The Procedure

The preparation involved in placing indirect veneers usually consist of removing some of the enamel on the teeth that will have veneers placed. The reason we shave some enamel off is to make room for the veneers to sit on the teeth. If we don’t remove this enamel the veneers will look too large to be natural teeth. Once this step is done we will take a mold of your teeth to send to the dental lab. If your teeth appear awkward we can provide temporary veneers to be worn while the permanent ones are crafted. This will be the end of the first appointment.

Once we receive the permanent veneers back from the dental lab it will be time for the second appointment. If we placed temporary veneers on your teeth we will first carefully remove them. We will then place the permanent veneers on your teeth making sure to line them up perfectly. Once the aesthetic that you desire has been achieve we will set them in place using permanent dental cement.

Post Procedure Care

While your new veneers are a permanent dental appliance, they do require a some special care. Natural teeth are incredibly tough and durable by nature, they can really take a beating. Porcelain is quite strong as well, and it matches the look of a natural tooth quite well. That being said, porcelain is not as strong as a natural tooth. Chewing on particularly hard objects is to be avoided. Never chew on ice, and don’t use your teeth as a tool to open packaging.

It is important that you take good care of your veneers by brushing twice and flossing once per day. Remember, your natural teeth are sitting right below your veneers and can still succumb to decay.

Are you interested in getting dental veneers? Give us a call at (858) 935-8589. We are happy to help you learn more about your smile!
Or book an appointment with us online today!