Have you ever wished you had better looking teeth without all the hassle of braces or crowns?  
             Have you ever wished to smile and the whole world smiles with you?

         Today’s implants are all harmless to the human body and are manufactured according to international quality standards. While high-tech in natural-looking and feeling, you may forget you ever lost a tooth. You know that your confidence about your teeth affects how you feel about yourself, both personally and professionally. Perhaps you hide your smile because of spaces from missing teeth. So, there is good news since dental implants support replacement teeth in virtually the same way that your natural tooth root supports your natural teeth.        

A beautiful smile can lighten the hearts of those around you and give you an extra dose of self-confidence at the same time. It’s obvious that our smile, or more specific our teeth, are important to us in many ways. It may be hard to smile, even if you want to, when your teeth are uneven, chipped or discolored.

NOW YOU CAN! Porcelain veneers are the answer for instant orthodontics to straighten smiles, close spaces, reshape, and accomplish minor realignment of your teeth.You can even have that "Hollywood" smile you've always wanted.

If you are concerned about what porcelain veneers cost, we think you will be pleasantly surprised. A free cosmetic consultation is waiting for you!

What are porcelain veneers?

          Veneers are very thin and are bonded on the front of your anterior teeth. Dentists use some of the same techniques to bond plastic resins for minor smile corrections. These veneers are about 0.3mm to 0.5mm in thickness but are very strong once bonded to your teeth. They have a "life like" appearance with the strength, beauty, and durability only porcelain restorations can afford. Veneers have several advantages over crowns (caps). There is no "dark line" that is sometimes seen with older front caps. They transmit light better and, therefore, have a more translucent appearance giving a natural, esthetic look. Porcelain veneers allow us to alter tooth position, shape, size and color.  Veneers do not require the massive grinding of tooth structure that caps do, yet, they accomplish a lifelike esthetic result. They are not the only alternative for all esthetic abnormalities but are truly a remarkable restoration when they are the treatment of choice.

 

What causes discoloration of the teeth?                 

          Teeth enamel discoloration can be caused by staining, aging, or chemical damage to teeth. Some of the more common causes of teeth discoloration are medications, coffee, tea or cigarettes.  People who drink significant amounts of cola soft drinks can experience similar staining. Genetics can play a role. Some people have naturally brighter enamel than others. If you suspect that there is an underlying medical cause for your teeth discoloration, be sure to inform your cosmetic dentist.

Dental Veneers: A Makeover for your Teeth                 

          Dental veneers are custom-designed shells of tooth-like ceramic material that, when applied over the surface of a tooth, can cover worn tooth enamel, uneven tooth alignment, or spacing and chips or cracks. Dental veneers fall into the category of cosmetic dentistry because they create a bright, white smile with beautifully aligned, shapely teeth. Even better, the translucent ceramic quality of today's veneers provides a more natural look than what’s been available in the past.

          Often an alternative to crowns, veneers are very thin pieces of specially-shaped porcelain or resin composite materials that are glued over the front of your teeth with little or no anesthesia needed. They are the cure for teeth that are severely discolored, chipped, have small holes or pits, misshapen or crooked, or for the correction of unwanted or uneven spaces. Unlike crowns, veneers won't require the dentist to remove much of the tooth itself in most cases. It is important to ask your cosmetic dentist how much tooth will be removed. In some cases more tooth will need to be removed, which may increase the risk of trauma to the tooth. Veneers are created from an impression taken in your cosmetic dentist's office. Your custom veneer is then glued directly onto your tooth. Typically costing less than crowns, veneers won't stain, making veneers a very popular solution for many people seeking that perfect smile. Strong and very durable, veneers last from ten to fifteen years, and come in colors that will brighten dark teeth without the worry of them changing color.

Who is a candidate for Dental Veneers?

          Veneers, porcelain or plastic, are placed over the front teeth to change color, shape and position of the teeth. Veneers are ideal for teeth that are too small, too big, or have uneven surfaces. It is very common for people to have imperfect teeth, either oddly shaped teeth, chipped teeth, crooked teeth, teeth with small holes in them, or an inappropriate sized tooth or teeth that have an odd appearance. . Veneers can also be used to close small gaps, when orthodontics (braces) are not suitable. If one tooth is slightly out of position, a veneer can sometimes be fitted to bring it into line with the others.Veneers solve such irregularities and create a durable and pleasing smile.

When are Veneers Appropriate?

          Bonding often serves as an inexpensive and effective restoration for small chips and cracks in the teeth. Such minor problems may be functionally and cosmetically repaired with a composite "white filling." A composite resin material is bonded to the tooth in order to fill in the chip or crack and better protect the surrounding tooth structure. But for more severe cases of dullness, wear, discoloration, mild chipping, cracking, spacing, or uneven teeth, dental veneers may be recommended as a more appropriate solution.
Regardless of what causes unattractive teeth, dental veneers may solve most or even all of your cosmetic dental issues, including:

• Worn enamel: Over time, the thin, hard white substance covering your teeth (enamel) may become worn, dulled, and discolored. Such wear and discoloration may be natural or the result of a genetic predisposition; however, it is often a result of your habits (soft drink, tea, or coffee consumption, smoking, medication use, etc.).
• Wear and tear: Teeth naturally wear down as people age. Aged teeth are more likely to have chips, cracks, or a generally uneven appearance.
• Genetics: Certain people may be born with abnormal spacing between the teeth that grows wider as they age.
• Uneven teeth: Uneven teeth can result from tooth grinding or general wear and tear.

How are Tooth Veneers Attached to your Tooth?

In your first appointment, it is important to initially discuss with your cosmetic dentist that you will want to "try in" your veneers with temporary cement that is the same color cement as will be used for the permanent attachment. During this "try-in" phase, be sure to look at your veneers in natural light in addition to the office light. Teeth are prepared for veneers by lightly buffing to allow for the small added thickness of the veneer. Veneers are thin like contact lenses, and will usually only need tooth reduction of 0.5mm to 1.0mm. If a drastic change is being made for the result you want, reduction may be 1.0mm to 2.0mm. A mold is taken of the teeth, from which the veneers are modeled after. Temporary veneers will be placed and worn until your permanent veneers are ready. While wearing the temporary veneers, advise your cosmetic dentist of any adjustments or changes you would like made, such as in shape or size. These changes will be translated into your permanent veneers, so good communication between you and your dentist is important in achieving your new smile.

Your dentist places the veneers with water or glycerin on the teeth to verify their perfect fit and the shade or color. The color cannot be changed after the veneers are adhered to your teeth. The tooth is then cleansed with chemicals to achieve a durable bond. Once the glue is between the veneer and your tooth, a light beam is used to harden the glue/cement.

Types of Tooth Veneer

Types of Tooth Veneer Materials
The two most common materials used in the manufacture of dental veneers are porcelain and composite resin. Both porcelain and composite veneers may be fabricated by a dental technician in a dental laboratory; composite veneers can also be directly fabricated inside your mouth at the dental office. Dental veneers that are indirectly fabricated – fabricated in a dental laboratory – are bonded to the teeth with various types of resin cement. Of the two options, porcelain veneers are longer lasting and more expensive.

• Porcelain veneers : Also called laminates, these can be made from either porcelain or ceramic materials. These materials look very much like natural tooth enamel in both color and translucency. They are durable and resistant to wear and to stains. However, these veneers can wear down nearby teeth because the porcelain or ceramic surface is rough. For example, veneers on the top incisors may wear the enamel on the biting edge of the lower incisors.
• Resin : based composite veneers. These are made of a composite resin material that can be molded directly on the teeth. This usually requires less removal of the tooth enamel than porcelain veneers. However, the color may not match the surrounding teeth as well and may not be as strong as porcelain veneers.

Types of Tooth Veneer Procedures
There are two tooth veneers procedures available that correct discoloration of the teeth by removing the brown and yellow staining. While each work effectively, there are advantages and disadvantages to each procedure dependent upon your objectives and commitment to the processes. The type of procedures available should be discussed with your cosmetic dentist, and they will recommend the most appropriate tooth veneers procedure for you.

• Composite Veneer Procedure: Composite veneers are usually performed in a single visit to your cosmetic dentist. The procedure is an application of a bond and enamel directly to the tooth's surface.
• Porcelain Veneer Procedure: Porcelain veneers are a very thin porcelain material. Usually porcelain veneers require two visits and also require a dental laboratory to create the final tooth restoration piece.

The Dental Veneer Procedure

The dental veneer procedure can often be completed in two dental visits over the course of a one-week period. The visits are comprehensive and may require several hours of examination, and tooth preparation. The examination stage of the veneer process is essential; it determines any oral health concerns that must first be addressed before treatment progresses. Also, your dentist will work with you to select the best tooth color for you from a special shade chart. Imaging technologies can provide you with a preview of your expected results, and before and after images can allow you to view other successful cases. Once the examination process is completed and the customized plan designed, treatment begins.

The procedure itself has several steps. First, your dentist will likely administer a local anesthetic so you will be comfortable during the preparation of the tooth and the application of the veneer. Then the tooth is prepared by minimally reshaping it to provide the best fit. The tooth is reshaped using a small handheld rotational cutting device called a burr. Burrs come in various shapes and sizes and allow for the precise and minimal shaping of a tooth prior to veneer placement.

Next, your dentist will make an impression of your teeth from which a mold of your mouth will be made. This impression may be sent to an outside dental lab so the veneers can be professionally fabricated.

What's the Procedure for Getting a Porcelain Veneer?

The procedure usually requires two trips to the dentist? One is for a consultation and two is to make and apply the veneers. The procedure itself involves several steps. These are: diagnosis and treatment planning, preparation, and bonding. It is important to note that one tooth or many teeth can simultaneously undergo the veneering process described below.

• The first office visit - Diagnosis and treatment planning : This first step involves active participation between you and our cosmetic dentist. Explain to your dentist the result that you are trying to achieve. During this appointment your dentist will examine your teeth to make sure dental veneers are appropriate for you and discuss what the procedure will involve and some of its limitations. We also may take x-rays and possibly make impressions of your mouth and teeth.
• The second office visit - Preparation : To prepare a tooth for a veneer, We will remove about 0.5-1.0 millimeter of enamel from the tooth surface, which is an amount nearly equal to the thickness of the veneer to be added to the tooth surface. Before trimming off the enamel, we will decide the need for a local anesthetic to numb the area. Next, we will make a model or impression of your teeth. This model is sent out to our in-house dental laboratory, which in turn constructs your veneer. It usually takes 5-7 days in this process. For very unsightly teeth, temporary dental veneers can be placed for no additional cost.
• The final office visit - Bonding : Before the dental veneer is permanently cemented to your tooth, we will temporarily place it on your tooth to examine its fit and color. We will repeatedly remove and trim the veneer as needed to achieve the proper fit; the veneer color can be adjusted with the shade of cement to be used. Next, to prepare your tooth to receive the veneer, your tooth will be cleaned and polished which roughens the tooth to allow for a strong bonding process. A special cement is applied to the veneer and the veneer is then placed on your tooth. Once properly position on the tooth, we will apply a special light beam to the dental veneer, which activates chemicals in the cement causing it to harden or cure very quickly. The final steps involve removing any excess cement, evaluating your bite and making any final adjustments in the veneer as necessary

How to select a color for your veneers.

When considering veneers a common question is how white the veneers should be. Usually, the answer is to whiten your natural teeth to either the level of whiteness you want or to the brightest they can be. Your cosmetic dentist will then have the veneers made to that color. Teeth are of course not monochromatic, so typically more than one color is used to create a very natural look. This color variation is critical in avoiding fake or artificial looking teeth. It is the internal contrast of colors that help create vitality. The internal play of light on the porcelain in the restoration helps to create this vitality. Surface texture is also very important, and helps to break up light reflections and make the crown or veneer look more natural.

There is no one standard system in the dental field to measure and determine tooth color. The most often heard about, however, is the Vita shade guide. This guide divides tooth color into four basic shade ranges:
A (reddish brown)
B (reddish yellow)
C (gray)
D (reddish gray).
In the A range there are five levels of darkness. Ranges B, C and D, each have four levels.

Not all of your teeth are the same natural color. Usually your eye teeth tend to be darker than the others, your front teeth are typically the whitest, and molars tend to be a shade between the two. The goal for everyone is to achieve their individual optimum whiteness while still looking natural.

Most dentists will show you a shade chart (like the above mentioned Vita Shade Guide) for you to pick from. Keep in mind, with a good cosmetic dentist this is merely a starting point. Other considerations when determining the color of veneers for each patient are your complexion, hair color, the color of your natural teeth and even your eye color

Benefits of Porcelain Veneers:

• Porcelain veneers can be used to repair minor tooth imperfections and defects.
• Porcelain veneers can be used to cover and conceal existing fillings that have become stained or discolored.
• Porcelain veneers can be used to make color changes in teeth that are permanently discolored or stained.
• Porcelain veneers can sometimes be used as an alternative to orthodontic treatment.
• Porcelain veneers are frequently utilized as a way of closing spaces that lie between teeth. If a person's tooth misalignment is not excessive, porcelain veneers can often be used to give a person's smile a more even

Advantages & Disadvantages of Tooth Veneers

Pros and Cons of Traditional Porcelain Tooth Veneers

Advantages:

Porcelain veneers are common in creating new smiles and smile makeovers. With porcelain veneers, you can have the smile of your dreams in a very short period of time. Typically veneers are difficult to stain, making veneers a very popular solution for many people seeking that perfect smile. Strong and very durable, veneers last from ten to fifteen years, and come in colors that will brighten dark teeth without the worry of them changing color. Veneers are typically done in only two one and a half hour long appointments, and can actually strengthen your tooth.
There is no additional maintenance, other than a follow-up visit to your cosmetic dentist and proper brushing and flossing on a daily basis.
Finally, a whiter smile gives people to whom you are speaking a place to focus on and gives you a friendlier appearance.

Disadvantages:

It takes roughly a week or two of a period of adjustment to get used to your teeth that have been changed in color, size, spacing and shape. While very little tooth is removed in most cases, there are situations where more tooth must be removed which increases the risk of trauma to the tooth. The amount of tooth to be removed for the veneers should be discussed with your cosmetic dentist beforehand.

It is common to have minor sensitivity after your teeth have been prepared for your veneers while wearing the temporary veneers. Some people can experience a difference in speech, usually pronouncing "s" and "f" sounds. This is corrected through minor adjustments your cosmetic dentist can make to your veneers. Veneers are very reasonable facsimiles of natural teeth, but not perfect replacements for natural teeth. It's common to see slight variations in the color of veneers upon very close inspection, as with natural teeth. It can take up to a month or two before your new smile feels a part of you.

If you suffer from bruxism, clenching or grinding of your teeth, veneers can be damaged, chipped or cracked from this. If you suffer from bruxism, speak with your cosmetic dentist about wearing a mouth guard at night to protect your new smile.

What are some of the advantages of porcelain veneers over other types of cosmetic dental bonding procedures?

Two of the greatest advantages of porcelain veneers over other types of cosmetic dental bonding are:

A) Porcelain veneers create a very life-like tooth appearance.

You might be surprised to learn that while a large portion of every tooth is composed of dental enamel, teeth are not solid enamel. The enamel component of a tooth is actually just an outer encasement. The hard tooth tissue that lies underneath a tooth's enamel layer is termed "dentin."
One property of tooth enamel is that it's translucent. This means that when light strikes a tooth's surface it is not immediately reflected off, but instead penetrates into its enamel layer. Once the light has passed through the full thickness of the enamel it reflects off the opaque (non-translucent) tooth dentin that lies underneath, and then on back out of the tooth. This manner of handling light, the translucency effect of a tooth's enamel, is an important aspect of what give teeth their characteristic lustrous appearance.

In the past the only cosmetic dental bonding materials that dentists had available to them were just semi-translucent. This meant that most of the light that struck a repaired tooth would not penetrate into the bonding but instead be reflected off its outer surface. The net result was that while the bonding did give the tooth an improved appearance, there was no sense of translucency (luster).

B) Porcelain veneers resist staining.

As a group, cosmetic dental bonding materials have the shortcoming of being susceptible to staining and discoloring. This is especially true when they are used in conjunction with individuals whose consumption habits include the use of tea, coffee, red wine, and tobacco products.
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 extremely stain resistant.

 

Porcelain veneers can be used to repair minor tooth imperfections and defects.

Teeth that have small chips or whose surface is worn or misshapen are often good candidates for porcelain veneers.

Porcelain veneers can be used to cover over and conceal fillings that have become stained or discolored.

Old fillings and previous attempts at cosmetic bonding that have become discolored can usually be masked with porcelain veneers.

Porcelain veneers can be used to make color changes for teeth that have permanent stains.

Some teeth are just naturally discolored. This includes teeth that have tetracycline or fluorosis staining and those that have become darkened as a result of physical trauma or root canal treatment. In many cases these teeth are good candidates for porcelain veneers.

In some cases porcelain veneers can be used as an alternative to orthodontic treatment.

Porcelain veneers can be used as way to close the spaces ("tooth gaps") that lie between a person's teeth. |

If their misalignment is not too excessive, porcelain veneers can sometimes be used to give a person's smile a more even appearance without the use of braces.

Since porcelain veneers are glass-like in nature (ceramic) they have a great advantage over other cosmetic bonding techniques by way of the fact that they are translucent. When a porcelain veneer is bonded onto a tooth's surface it will closely mimic the light handling characteristics of dental enamel.

When light strikes the surface of a veneered tooth it can penetrate on into the veneer's porcelain, just like it does with dental enamel. Once it has traversed the full thickness of the porcelain the light will reflect off the opaque cement and tooth dentin that lies underneath the veneer, and then on back out of the tooth. This translucency effect of the porcelain creates a lustrous appearance for the tooth that very closely resembles the appearance of enamel.

A Restorative Benefit to Veneers

In addition to being esthetically pleasing, dental veneers can also serve a functional purpose by protecting the surface of a damaged tooth. In some cases, veneers may replace the need for a dental crown, eliminating the need for more invasive tooth preparation.

Because dental veneers are so thin, they might require little-to-no tooth reshaping when bonded onto the tooth. They are incredibly strong and may last up to 15 years, assuming they are properly maintained through regular brushing and checkups.

Veneers or Whitening?

Teeth whitening may provide a white smile for mildly discolored teeth, and lasers may be used to treat specific discoloration spots on a tooth. Some people who are interested in veneers will find that their cosmetic dentist will steer them to the simpler alternative of whitening, perhaps combined with some simple orthodontic alignment. The placement of dental veneers requires the “shaping” or “prepping” of all teeth being fitted with the custom-designed shells. This process permanently alters the teeth that are treated and is therefore not recommended if your natural teeth are functionally and esthetically adequate.

If you have a severe case of dull or discolored teeth, you may have to opt for dental veneers. Veneers do have the added benefits of longevity and a proven ability to enhance the appearance of the mouth, smile, and possibly other areas of an aged face that would be better supported by properly shaped teeth. Although veneers require a much larger commitment than teeth whitening, the results are typically well worth it.