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Porcelain Veneers
What are porcelain
veneers?
Porcelain veneers, also
termed dental veneers or dental porcelain laminates, are one of cosmetic
dentistry’s more recent developments. Porcelain
veneers are wafer-thin shells of porcelain that can be bonded onto the front
side of teeth to make a cosmetic improvement in the teeth’s appearance. Porcelain veneers are routinely used to
idealize teeth that are:
- Stained or discolored
- Worn
- Chipped
- Misaligned
- Alternative to orthodontic treatment
For decades dentists have
had available to them materials that can create a durable bond to tooth
enamel. These bonding materials are
used to securely attach a thin sheet of porcelain (the porcelain veneer) to a
tooth. Although porcelain is inherently
brittle, when it is firmly bonded to a sturdy substructure (a tooth) it becomes
very strong and durable.
Advantages of Porcelain Veneers
The use of porcelain veneers
are gaining immense popularity due to the ease of applying one of these veneers
on, and also the long-lasting benefits that porcelain veneers have in enhancing
your appearance.
Realistic
Appearance - One property of the
teeth’s enamel covering is that it is translucent. This means that when light strikes a tooth’s surface it is not
immediately reflected off, but instead penetrates into the thickness of the
enamel. This property of translucency is an important part of what gives teeth
their characteristic appearance.
Historically the cosmetic dental bonding materials dentists have had
available to them were only semi-translucent which didn’t give a realistic
appearance since the light striking the tooth did not penetrate into the
bonding layer but instead was reflected off the bonding’s outer surface. Although, the bonding improved the teeth,
the sense of depth projection did not give the teeth its characteristic
translucency. Porcelain veneers are
glass-like, which have a great advantage over other types of cosmetic dental bonding
by the fact that they are translucent. When they are bonded onto a tooth’s
surface they mimic the light handling characteristics of enamel. This translucency effect provides a sense of
depth, and thus a very life-like appearance.
Resists
Staining – In the past, cosmetic
dental bonding materials were susceptible to staining and discoloring. This was especially a problem for those
people whose teeth had excessive exposure to tea, coffee, red wine, or cigarette
smoking. A significant advantage of porcelain
veneers is related to the fact that a porcelain veneer’s surface is just that,
porcelain. Since porcelain is a
ceramic, and therefore glass-like, its surface is extremely smooth and
impervious - this means that the surface of a porcelain veneer will not pick up
permanent stains.
Getting and Maintaining Porcelain Veneers
If you are investigating
getting porcelain veneers, then you have come to the right site for
comprehensive information that will allow you to make a better-informed
decision. If you choose to follow
through, the next step is to make a consultation appointment with your
dentist. Only an examination by your
dentist can determine if porcelain veneers are an appropriate method by which
to make the changes you desire.
During the examination
appointment you will need to convey to your dentist the types of changes you
are interested in obtaining. Your dentist in turn will help you understand to
what extent the changes you desire are possible. As a part of this examination your dentist may need to take
x-rays as well as photographs. Your dentist may also need to take dental
impressions (dental molds) from which they will make a plaster cast of your
mouth. Even if you find that porcelain
veneers are not appropriate for your circumstances, your dentist will most
likely be able to suggest other treatment options that are suitable.
There are no hard and fast
rules about how long porcelain veneers will last. While you can certainly expect your veneers to last many years, it
is unrealistic to expect them to last forever.
With good home care and by exercising good judgment, it seems likely
that a porcelain veneer could last well in excess of ten years. Tips for maximizing the lifespan of your
porcelain veneers include:
·
Practice good oral home
care
·
Avoid exposing your
porcelain veneers to excessive forces
·
Avoid clenching and
grinding your teeth
·
Minimize staining
influences
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