Porcelain
veneers is one of most important and popular procedure of smile design or smile makeover of cosmetic dentistry. Dental veneers (sometimes called porcelain
veneers or porcelain laminates) are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of
tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front surface of teeth to improve
your appearance. These veneers are bonded to the front of the teeth changing
their color, shape, size, or length.
Dental
veneers can be made from porcelain or from resin composite materials. Porcelain
veneers resist stains better than resin veneers and better mimic the light
reflecting properties of natural teeth.
Regardless
of what causes unattractive teeth, dental veneers may solve most or even all of
your cosmetic dental issues, including
Worn
enamel: Tooth enamel can become worn or dulled naturally over
time. Veneers are perfect for correcting smiles affected by worn enamel.
Wear
and tear: As we age, our teeth naturally begin to wear down. Aged
teeth are more likely to have chips, cracks or a generally uneven appearance.
Veneers can restore the natural appearance of healthy, youthful teeth.
Genetics:
Certain people are born with abnormal spacing between their teeth that widens
with age.
Uneven
teeth: Uneven teeth can result from the grinding or through
general wear and tear. This can lead to malocclusion, which usually need very
lengthy orthodontic treatment
Discoloration: some
tooth discoloration may not be fully correctable through teeth whitening. In
such cases, veneers can offer a simple, permanent, more reliable cosmetic
solution.
In
addition to the color, alignment and balance of your teeth in the aesthetic
zone of your smile (the section of upper and lower teeth that show when you
smile), there are several attributes of your teeth and smile that we will
evaluate with you when planning your makeover. These include:
Tooth
Length: Long teeth look a youthful appearance. Aging produces wear
and tear that often results in shorter teeth, and a gummy smile also can make
teeth appear shorter. A treatment for shorter teeth may include reshaping and
lengthening the two front central teeth with composite bonding or porcelain
veneers. If you have a gummy smile, we may provide treatment to modify the gum
line and lengthen the appearance of the teeth using crown lengthening
procedures. Teeth lengthening may also impact your overall facial appearance.
For example, shapely, long, square teeth on a round-faced individual can
provide a slimming effect.
Smile
Line:
The smile line is an imaginary line that follows the edges of your upper teeth
from side to side, which ideally should be the same as the curve of your lower
lip when you smile. This standard point of reference may be used to help
determine how long your new teeth should be.
Tooth
Proportions: We will examine your teeth to determine if
they are in correct proportion with each other. Most people recognize a
pleasing smile as one in which the two central front teeth are dominant and
have a width-to-length ratio of 4:5. This proportion guides the length and
width of other teeth in the aesthetic zone so that the smile line appears
balanced.
Tooth
Texture and Characterization: An artistic dentist can
characterize your crowns or veneers to create a more feminine or a more
masculine appearance, in addition to matching the look and feel of natural
teeth or those you’ve seen in photographs.
Advantages
of Veneers
♦ provide
a natural tooth appearance.
♦ Gum tissue tolerates porcelain
well.
♦ Porcelain veneers are stain
resistant.
♦ Brigher teeth color
♦ Allow to change tooth shape
according to personality
Limitation
of veneers
♦ Veneers are determined on a
case by case basis. Not everyone may qualify for veneers. Sometimes the damage
to a tooth is too extensive to where a full coverage crown may be required
versus a veneer.
♦ Veneers are not a good choice
for individuals with unhealthy teeth (for example, those with decay or active
gum disease, weakened teeth (as a result of decay, fracture, large dental fillings), or for those who have an inadequate amount of existing enamel on the
tooth surface.
♦ Individuals who clench and grind their teeth are poor candidates for porcelain veneers, as these
activities can cause the veneers to crack or chip.
Although
veneers fall into the category of cosmetic dentistry because they help make over smiles with beautifully aligned, shapely teeth, they also boast protective
qualities and may eliminate the need for more extensive treatments. Other
benefits include durability, an improved smile appearance, and the need for
little-to-no removal of tooth structure compared to crowns.
