Porcelain dental veneers are a beautiful way to correct stained, chipped, or crooked teeth. By placing glass-like ceramic porcelain on the surface of teeth, it can be provided patient with bright, straight, and natural looking smile.

          Dental veneers are considered an art science. When done correctly they can improve a person's smile tremendously. However, there are certain situations where veneers are not advised such as active gum disease or insufficient tooth structure.

Veneer procedure:

First step is to remove a thin layer of enamel for retention of the veneer. This thin layer of enamel removal mimics the thickness of the veneer. If discoloration is present then follows removal of discoloured portion of the tooth and any caries or cavity underneath. If solid tooth structure is present, then only the thin layer of enamel removed is needed for retention. An impression or dental mould is taken and sent to a dental laboratory with instructions for alignment and tooth shade. A temporary is placed in the meantime. Upon return for placement, the tooth is etched with an acidic solution in order for bonding of the veneer. This etching technique assures adequate bonding of the veneer to the tooth. Cement is used to adhere the veneer to the tooth and the excess removed.

What Will My Porcelain Veneers Look Like?

The glass-like ceramic that forms porcelain veneers closely resembles natural tooth enamel. This is because, much like real tooth enamel, porcelain veneers are translucent. When light strikes a natural tooth's surface, it is not immediately reflected off. Instead, it penetrates the tooth enamel and reflects off the opaque tooth dentin that lies just beneath. This translucent effect is what gives teeth their lustre. By replicating this, porcelain dental veneers provide patients with bright, natural looking smiles.

Porcelain dental veneers can also cover and repair cracked and chipped teeth. Because porcelain veneers are custom made and fitted to your teeth by a skilled cosmetic dentist, you can customize and improve much more than just the colour of your teeth. Crooked and chipped teeth can have their appearances improved to give you a beautiful new smile. Any broken teeth can be repaired using dental crowns, or caps, that can be colour matched to your dental veneers.