Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers, which also can be called dental
veneers or dental porcelain laminates, are one of cosmetic dentistry's
most popular developments. These ultra-thin shells of porcelain are
bonded onto the front side of teeth. They are an excellent cosmetic
solution for teeth that have been stained, chipped, or are slightly
misaligned.
In this website we will
thoroughly explain some of the advantages and disadvantages of porcelain
veneers. We'll tell you exactly when these dental veneers should or
should not be utilized. We'll provide you with the steps involved in
having porcelain veneers made. We'll explain in detail how to take care
your veneers as well as what to do if you have a porcelain veneer fall
off or break (however that rarely happens.)
Porcelain veneers,
alternatively termed dental veneers or dental porcelain laminates, are
installed by a dentist and bonded onto the front side of teeth to create
a cosmetic improvement. Porcelain veneers are routinely used by dentists
as a way to make cosmetic changes for teeth that are discolored, worn,
chipped, or misaligned.
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Porcelain veneer technique is an offshoot of the basic science of
cosmetic dental bonding. Dentists have had materials available to them
for decades that are capable of creating a virtually unbreakable bond
with tooth enamel. Although porcelain by nature is inherently
brittle, when it is firmly bonded to a sturdy substructure (in this
instance a tooth) it becomes very strong and durable.
Three of the greatest advantages of porcelain veneers are:
1) Porcelain veneers create a very life-like tooth appearance.
In years past the only dental bonding materials that cosmetic dentists
had available were semi-translucent. This meant that majority of the
light that struck a repaired tooth would not penetrate into the tooth
itself but instead be reflected off its outer surface. Although the
bonding did give the tooth an improved appearance, there was no sense of
natural translucency. These older materials did not create natural tooth
luster.
Since porcelain veneers are ceramic and glass-like in nature, they have
a great advantage over other cosmetic bonding materials because they are
translucent. When a porcelain veneer is bonded onto a tooth's surface,
it will closely mimic the natural light handling characteristics of a
persons own dental enamel.
When light strikes the surface of a veneered tooth it will penetrate
into the veneer's porcelain, just like it does with natural dental
enamel. Once it has penetrated the full thickness of the porcelain, the
light will then reflect off the opaque cement and tooth dentin that lies
underneath the veneer, and then continue on back out of the tooth. This
translucency effect of the porcelain creates a lustrous appearance for
the tooth that is incredibly natural looking.
2) Porcelain veneers resist staining.
As a group, most cosmetic dental bonding materials have the shortfall
of being highly susceptible to staining and discoloring. This is
especially true when they are used by people whose consumption habits
include the consumption of tea, coffee, red wine, tobacco products, and
other items that have a strong ability to stain.
A significant advantage of placing porcelain veneers as opposed to
cosmetic dental bonding is that a porcelain veneer's surface is just
that, porcelain. Since porcelain is a ceramic, and therefore glass-like,
a veneer's porcelain surface will be incredibly stain resistant.
3) Porcelain is a very inexpensive material.
Unlike silver, gold, or many other substances used on teeth,
porcelain is a very inexpensive material. The largest expense involved
in getting porcelain veneers is the cost of labor to create and apply
them. As dental labor rates vary, so too will the cost of porcelain
veneers. But in general, porcelain veneers are very affordable.
Whatever your needs for porcelain veneers, we have the information
you are looking for. From references on the top local dentists, to cost
estimates, facts on under what circumstances porcelain veneers are
covered by most dental insurance, to before and after pictures showing
the improvements brought about by porcelain veneers.
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