Veneers in Fountain Valley are a popular treatment in cosmetic dentistry that can restore your smile. Feel insecure in photos or during social events? Veneers can help restore your confidence along with your smile.
Aesthetically pleasing smiles have been shown to make people look more youthful and competent, which can do wonders for your social life and career. Read on in this blog from Naman Zia Ebrahimi, DMD to learn more about veneers.
Veneers are porcelain shells attached to your teeth to mask cosmetic imperfections. After filing down a small amount of tooth enamel to create room for the veneers, the porcelain covering is bonded to your tooth and this is repeated on each visible tooth to improve your smile.
Typically patients only require 6 veneers on the top row of teeth to cover up aesthetic problems with the teeth that show when they smile. Veneers are similar to dental crowns because they cover the teeth but with one huge difference - they only cover the front surface of the teeth as a thin shell rather than covering all surfaces of the teeth.
Common cosmetic problems that veneers can cover include tooth discoloration, chips or cracks, gaps, misalignment, and awkwardly shaped or sized teeth. Veneers are opaque in color so they can completely hide issues with the teeth.
If you want to completely change the size or shape of your teeth, we can fabricate a veneer that is a more desirable aesthetic. Some people simply have one or a few asymmetrical teeth that are throwing off their smiles because their teeth aren’t uniform.
All of these issues can be addressed with veneers. They can even cover eroded enamel that has become damaged over the years, offering additional strength and protection.
Porcelain - These are traditional veneers, which are fabricated out of porcelain. Porcelain is the most aesthetically pleasing material for tooth restorations, as it looks the most natural. Porcelain is also stain-resistant.
We need to file down .5 mm of your enamel to prepare your teeth so that the veneers do not stick out. Afterward, the porcelain veneers are bonded to your teeth and replace the missing section of enamel. You’ll need to wear temporary veneers until the official ones are ready to be placed. These veneers cannot be repaired if they become chipped or damaged. They need to be replaced entirely.
Composite - A less popular option is veneers that are made out of composite resin instead of porcelain. Instead of fabricating a tooth covering in a lab and then bonding it to the tooth, layers of composite resin are applied to the tooth and cured to instantly harden.
This is the same material used in dental bonding and tooth-colored fillings. It is not as strong or durable as porcelain veneers but they are more affordable. Composite resin is not stain-resistant so they are more prone to staining if you consume a lot of staining foods and drinks.
These veneers also require less enamel removal to prepare the teeth for the veneers. Since no outside dental lab is required, you will have fewer appointments and don’t need to wear temporary veneers. These veneers can be more easily repaired.
Lumineers - A lumineer is like an ultra-thin version of a traditional porcelain veneer. They’re also referred to as no-prep veneers because the thinness of the material means we don’t need to remove any of your natural tooth enamel.
This makes lumineers reversible, unlike the previously mentioned veneers which cause irreversible changes to your tooth enamel. When we file down your teeth, that means you always need to keep them covered.
Lumineers offer flexibility because you can choose to have them removed later down the line. Since they are thinner, they are more transparent and are not as effective at covering severe staining.
Porcelain veneers have the longest lifespan with 10 to 15 years on average. Porcelain is much more durable, strong, and stain-resistant than composite resin. This is why composite resin has a shorter lifespan of 4 to 8 years.
The upside, however, is that they can be more easily repaired instead of needing to be completely replaced. Finally, there are lumineers which are thinner versions of porcelain veneers, making them more prone to damage.
While many companies claim that lumineers can last up to 20 years, the reality is that they are less likely to last as long as traditional veneers because they are not as thick or durable.
Are you unhappy with your smile and wondering if veneers are right for you? Contact us at Naman Zia Ebrahimi, DMD today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Naman Zia Ebrahimi. He can examine your teeth and determine if you’re a good candidate.