Dental veneers can transform a smile through the application of thin, wafer-like shells that are bonded to the surface of your natural tooth. These wafers can change tooth characteristics such as color, alignment, length or gaps. Dental veneers are available in a wide range of colors and materials, with each material having different strengths and uses.
A great majority of dental veneers are crafted from porcelain (ceramic) or from a tooth-colored composite resin material. Depending on your particular issues, your veneers might be made in a lab by a dental technician or sculpted directly onto your teeth.
Composite resin can be a good choice for correcting small chips, tiny cracks or minor discolorations. Known as “direct veneers,” this composite is applied directly to the natural tooth and is shaped and then hardened and polished. It strongly resembles a natural tooth.
Larger chips, gaps, acute cracking or extremely discolored, worn or dull teeth should be treated with “indirect veneers.” These veneers are made of porcelain, are formed in a laboratory and are applied in a second visit to the dentist. These porcelain veneers are very long-lasting and can improve the shape of a patient’s face and lips.
The majority of dental veneer types require some form of enameloplasty, or removal of a small portion of the enamel of a tooth in order to allow the dental veneer to look natural. This process is not reversible. “No prep” veneers are available to some patients that require the least amount of enamel be removed for application, preserving as much of the natural tooth as possible.
If you would like to know what type of dental veneer material is recommended for you and your smile goals, talk to your cosmetic dentist in Central Falls, RI today.
