Are you dreaming of a whiter, straighter smile? Cosmetic dental treatments like porcelain veneers could change your life. These versatile smile enhancements produce the appearance of a perfect smile – free from flaws like permanent stains, chipped and crooked teeth, and worn dentition. They can make teeth appear perfectly straight and symmetrical. Benefits of Porcelain Veneers When it comes to perfecting a smile, porcelain veneers can accomplish many objectives. Patients who receive veneers might suffer from the following dental imperfections: Chipped teeth Asymmetrical teeth Orthodontic issues like crowded, crooked, gapped, and overlapped teeth Intrinsic and extrinsic tooth stains When veneers are placed, a person enjoys an instantly brighter, straighter smile. Veneers are made to very exact measurements, too. This means they will perfectly accommodate a person’s oral anatomy to produce a beautiful and natural-looking smile enhancement. How Veneers Work Porcelain veneers are wafer thin, handcrafted pieces of porcelain. They are shaped like teeth. Each veneer is made to fit over a specific tooth. A cosmetic dentist usually places porcelain veneers over the most visible teeth. Receiving veneers is minimally invasive and normally only local anesthetic is needed. The first step to receiving veneers is to schedule a cosmetic dentistry consultation. If a patient decides to pursue veneers, the cosmetic dentist will remove a thin layer of tooth enamel in order to accommodate the veneer. Molds, along with photos and X-rays, are taken of a person’s mouth. The information gathered is then sent to a dental lab where the veneers are custom crafted. Once a patient’s veneers are ready, he or she will return to our office to have them permanently bonded to their teeth. Our cosmetic dentist will slightly etch tooth structure to create a rough surface to which veneers can bond. Then dental cement is used to place them. As the bonding material dries, final adjustments are made to ensure that veneers are perfectly placed. If you’re interested in pursuing your cosmetic treatment options, call the office of Dr. Barry Buchanan to reserve a consultation.
Veneers are thin tooth colored shells that are designed to be attached to the front of teeth. Your cosmetic dentist will explain the veneers procedure, and how it will fit with your budgetary and timeline needs. Veneers are Versatile Misshapen, short, or elongated teeth – Veneers are ideal to make your teeth appear symmetrical by evening out one or more teeth that don’t blend in with surrounding teeth. Dental stain – Deeply stained or discolored teeth may not respond to attempts to clean or whiten them. Porcelain veneers are ideal as they can treat one or multiple teeth. Gaps between teeth – While some patients may embrace the openings between teeth, for those patients who do not, veneers can appear to close those gaps very quickly. Chipped teeth – A porcelain veneer can make a chipped tooth appear whole again. Why porcelain? Porcelain is the ideal material for veneers for several reasons: Appearance – Porcelain is semi translucent so treated teeth appear as natural as biological teeth. Color – Porcelain can be precisely color matched to biological teeth so treated teeth will blend naturally with neighboring teeth. Durable – Porcelain veneers actually will strengthen teeth they cover. Their durability allows them to last for many years. Care must be taken to keep from chipping or breaking veneers – they are generally not repairable; they will require replacement if broken or dislodged. Stain resistant – Porcelain will naturally resist stain from the foods, beverages, and lifestyle habits that can discolor natural teeth. And since porcelain will not stain, it also will not be affected by teeth whitening products. The Veneers Process When you consult with your cosmetic dentist, you will be advised that veneers are a minimally invasive and permanent cosmetic option that can be completed in weeks. Teeth that are to be treated with veneers are prepared by removing a very thin amount of enamel; impressions are taken for the dental lab to fabricate the veneers. Temporary veneers are provided until permanent restorations can be placed. Veneers will be tried in for fit and appearance; adjustments can be made at chairside if needed. The surface of teeth will be roughened to allow for better adherence. The veneers will be cemented in place; a curing light will be applied to hasten drying; and your smile makeover is completed. To learn more about veneers or to schedule a consultation, contact the office of Dr. Buchanan today.
If you are consulting with a cosmetic dentist to improve the appearance of teeth marred by issues like chips, cracks or deep stains, porcelain veneers may be recommended for your case. This versatile treatment option can be used to correct a variety of conditions, and the veneers are handcrafted to the patient’s unique specifications to ensure a good blend with the natural teeth surrounding the treated tooth or teeth. The overall result is a more beautiful smile. The veneers are tailored to your needs because the cosmetic dentist will take measurements, photos and dental impressions of your smile to capture the data needed to determine the design of the veneers. The shade of the porcelain, which looks quite similar to biological tooth enamel, can also be customized to match your other teeth. Keep in mind, however, that the shade of veneers cannot be altered further after the veneer is bonded to the tooth, so if you want to have teeth whitening treatments on the rest of your smile, you should do so before your veneers are placed. Your dentist may need to prepare your teeth by removing a thin layer of enamel to make room for the veneer, depending on its thickness. When the veneers are ready to be placed, you will return to the office to have them bonded to your teeth using a strong dental cement. Make sure that you are satisfied with the appearance of the veneers before they are bonded to your teeth because no changes can be made after that point. You may think that porcelain would be too fragile to hold up over years of biting, chewing and talking, but after the veneer is bonded to the tooth, the material becomes quite strong. In fact, if you take good care of them, your porcelain veneers can last for years. Patients who want to improve the appearance of their smiles often can get the results they desire from porcelain veneers. To learn more about this treatment option, schedule a consultation at our office.
It’s understandable that people would think that porcelain veneers are very fragile because porcelain is often a delicate material. However, porcelain veneers are quite durable once they are bonded to the teeth, and the devices can last for decades when you take good care of them. Porcelain veneers, which a cosmetic dentist can use to conceal any number of unsightly defects in your teeth, are thin tooth-shaped shells that are attached to the front of your biological teeth using a strong dental cement. After they are attached to the teeth, they become as strong as the teeth they’re restoring. Of course, poor oral hygiene can jeopardize the longevity of your porcelain veneers, so it’s important to practice good oral hygiene habits to minimize your risk of cavities and gum disease. At the same time, porcelain veneers are not indestructible, so you should use common sense. Habits that could harm your natural teeth—like chewing on ice, pencils or your fingernails—could damage veneers as well. Your dentist will give you thorough instructions on how to take care of your veneers. We encourage you to follow those guidelines closely. This treatment doesn’t take very long, either. Patients get porcelain veneers over the course of two appointments a few weeks apart. At the first session, the dentist gathers the information needed to design the veneers and may prep the teeth for veneer placement by removing a thin layer of enamel, if necessary to make room for the veneers. Then, when the veneers are ready, the patient returns to the office to have the dentist place them on the teeth. In addition to being durable, porcelain veneers are beautiful. The porcelain looks quite similar to biological tooth enamel, so these veneers have a lifelike appearance and blend in well with the rest of your smile. Furthermore, the dentist will design them specifically for you so that the shade, shape and proportion of the veneers are a good fit with your biological teeth. Porcelain veneers can last for years if you maintain them properly. If you have any questions about making the most of your veneers, please feel free to ask at your consultation. Call our caring and professional team today!
Porcelain veneers produce a complete smile makeover. These cosmetic enhancements are favored among celebrities for providing permanent, red carpet-worthy smiles. With veneers, a patient can literally go from having crooked, chipped, and stained teeth to a flawless white and straight smile. Since veneers are permanent, they are designed to resist staining and damage. Made from high quality porcelain, veneers themselves are not susceptible to disease or discoloration. This fact makes porcelain the ideal material for crafting a perfect, beautiful smile. How Veneers Work Essentially, porcelain veneers work by covering flaws. A veneer is a tooth-shaped piece of porcelain that is cemented over a tooth. Technicians in dental laboratories handcraft each veneer. Since veneers are bonded to the outside of teeth, they must be quite thin so that they don’t impede one’s speech. Their thin construction along with the fact that they are custom made allows veneers to serve as very lifelike cosmetic enhancements. Receiving veneers is not an invasive procedure. In fact, a total smile makeover only requires two to three visits to our office. After consulting with our cosmetic dentist, each tooth being treated will be lightly prepared. A small amount of tooth enamel is removed to create a bed for the veneers. After teeth are prepared, molds are taken of the upper and lower sets of teeth along with pictures. These molds and pictures will help our team and dental technicians create custom enhancements that will perfectly fit a patient’s mouth. Once the veneers are completed, patients will return to our practice for the bonding process. Each tooth will be gently etched to create the ideal bonding surface and then the veneers will be cemented to the teeth. As the cement dries, our dentist will make adjustments, if necessary, to ensure a beautiful and natural looking result. The process of receiving veneers does not produce discomfort and therefore does not require sedation or anesthesia in most cases. After the veneers are placed, patients leave our office with an instantly perfect looking smile. Call our office today to reserve a consultation with our caring and compassionate team.