Rockland County Dentist | Spring Valley NY Dentist | Bergen County NJ dentist Alan F. Pressman, D.M.D.

Porcelain veneers are an amazing way to correct chips, staining, and to “straighten” teeth. Veneers don’t actually straighten teeth, but they give the appearance of having straight teeth. Basically, it’s akin to getting a brand new set of “pearly whites.”

Porcelain veneers come in one of the 16 natural shades, or white, super white, or bleach white. Picking a shade that works for you is important, because these shades can look unnatural or too white for your mouth. Remember that episode of Friends featuring Ross’s glow-in-the-dark teeth? Many actors use veneers to achieve that “Hollywood” smile. When they smile onscreen, all you see is teeth. They can look incredibly fake. However, when correctly made and carefully chosen, porcelain veneers are more natural looking than dental bonding.

The advantages of veneers are a more aesthetic result (all the teeth will be the same color and shape) and a more natural tooth form (so the gums will be healthier). Veneers can mask just about anything. Unlike bonding, the porcelain will not stain. Their biggest disadvantages are that the procedure is irreversible and that it is more costly than bonding.

Porcelain veneers are very thin, custom-made coverings. The procedure for installing traditional porcelain veneers is to remove 1.5 mm of tooth structure and about 2.0 mm from the biting surface. This will enable enough thickness for the thin porcelain facing to fit over your teeth. If your teeth have twisted, more tooth structure has to be removed to provide an even surface for the veneer covering. This is where an interdisciplinary approach may be needed; the dentist may suggest using Invisalign to correct the tooth alignment before placing veneers. Otherwise, the final restorations will be too bulky; they will not look real. If the height of the tissue around the gum line is uneven, perhaps a quick visit to the periodontist (gum specialist) is in order for some recontouring. This procedure promises to even out the gumline before evening out the smile line.

     After removal of tooth structure, an impression is taken and sent to the laboratory. A temporary appliance is fabricated for you to wear while waiting for the final work to come back from the dental lab. Usually this takes 10 to 14 days. The teeth are cleaned and roughened to ensure the veneer can be bonded properly to the tooth. With modern porcelains and the latest bonding agents, adhesion is remarkable.

In the past few years, a new type of veneer has been introduced. “Lumineers^®” are porcelain veneers that are fabricated without any removal of tooth structure. Little or no drilling is necessary. These are ultrathin and can give the same natural look as traditional veneers. Initially, only one lab fabricated Lumineers^®, but nowadays more labs have developed the expertise necessary to manufacture them. These veneers are about 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm in thickness compared with the 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm thickness of traditional porcelain veneers.

     Lumineers^® are not an option for badly stained teeth, because they can’t cover the color adequately. In most cases, I would recommend tooth whitening first to minimize the staining and discoloration that have to be concealed.

What makes the veneer appear to be real teeth? The secret is in the translucency of dental porcelain makes it appear to be the real thing. Porcelain veneers provide patients with bright, natural looking smiles. But you must maintain your new teeth. They are now your own. To protect the new surface from grinding, sometimes the use of a night guard appliance is recommended.

     Whether using traditional veneers or Lumineers^®, the end result can be truly attractive and indistinguishable from actual teeth if done correctly. But the dentist’s experience and ability is critical to obtaining a good result.

Last changed: Dec 03 2010 at 5:01 AM