Veneers

What is a Veneer?

A dental veneer is a thin shell of porcelain or plastic that is bonded to a tooth to improve its color and shape. A veneer generally covers only the front and top of a tooth. Dental veneers can be used to close spaces between teeth, lengthen small or misshapen teeth, or whiten stained or dark teeth. When teeth are chipped or beginning to wear, dental veneers can protect them from damage and restore their original appearance.

It takes two or more appointments to restore teeth with dental veneers. During the first appointment, we shape and roughen the teeth. We then take impressions of your teeth, which we use to make precise working models of your mouth. It’s on these models that we artistically craft porcelain veneers to fit the prepared teeth. During the second appointment we clean and polish the prepared teeth. Then we use an adhesive to bond the veneers to the teeth. A harmless, high-intensity light hardens the adhesive. Once in place, porcelain veneers virtually become part of the teeth. You can use them like you would your own teeth, because the bond is extremely strong. The final result is beautiful and natural looking teeth.

Are you a candidate for porcelain veneers?

Porcelain veneers are strong, but those who grind their teeth may not be an ideal candidate for veneers. We often suggest these patients wear a mouthguard at night to protect the veneers from chipping or breaking. Patients whose lower jaw protrudes out farther than their upper jaw, are also poor candidates for dental veneers because the teeth of the lower jaw may bite into the teeth of the upper jaw and dislodge the veneers.