Porcelain veneers

Veneers are a thin layer of material fitted over the teeth to cover imperfections and gaps. Different types of veneers are available, but modern porcelain veneer offers more aesthetic results.

A dental technician can make the porcelain veneers in thin layers, often as thin as 0.3 millimetres. If you want to increase your teeth size, you can use porcelain veneers without drilling or any injections. Porcelain veneers are suitable for people with small teeth or who want to close gaps in their teeth.

What is porcelain veneer used for?

Porcelain veneers are often for:

• Enhancing smile
• Improving teeth colour when only whitening cannot give white teeth
• Fixing broken or chipped teeth and closing gaps
• Enhancing unsightly and discoloured teeth
• Improving alignment of mildly crooked teeth
• Giving a perfect smile

What are the advantages of porcelain veneers?

Modern porcelain materials such as Lumineers or Emax veneers have made ultra-thin veneers available. The advantages of porcelain veneers include the following;

• Completely remove or minimise tooth shaving or drilling
• It does not require injections because drilling isn't necessary. However, for a patient's comfort, the dentist may administer local anaesthetic if the patient requests for it or the dentist thinks it would benefit the patient
• Give a natural-looking result and beautiful smile, especially when you get veneers on several teeth
• Porcelain veneers do not stain
• The treatment is quick and can be completed in a few appointments
• Teeth straightening can be done almost instantly for mild overcrowding, compared to orthodontic treatment. However, veneers cannot replace orthodontic treatment

What are the downsides of porcelain veneers?

• Since there is minimal or no teeth drilling, the teeth can look bigger after fitting the veneer. This makes no-drilling veneers perfect for people with small teeth but who want bigger teeth.
• Removing some parts of the enamel may be necessary to prevent the teeth from appearing bulky. In this case, composite veneers may be more suitable.
• The veneer can get deboned and come off
• They can break and chip, which requires full replacement of the veneer
• There aren't easily repairable
• They need replacement every 7 – 10 years, and this has cost implications

What is the cost of porcelain veneers?

Generally, the cost of dental veneers depends on the following:

• The skill and experience of the person providing the treatment
• The skill and experience of the dental technician making the veneer
• The type of material
• The brand like Durathin and Lumineer veneers

Getting one or two veneers will be more expensive than getting several veneers. Additional costs apply, such as the Trail Smiles cost, which is necessary if you are getting more than two veneers.

Do porcelain veneers come off or break?

Porcelain veneers can come off. There is a risk of porcelain veneers coming off since the dentist cements them to the enamel, as this is the case when no drilling or tooth reduction is necessary. The veneer can break off due to inappropriate diets, habits, or excessive forces. If the veneer breaks off, a replacement is necessary.

Can porcelain veneers get whitened or stained?

Porcelain veneers are resistant to stain, so they don't easily stain, but the toot around the veneer can get stained. You cannot whiten veneers; they remain the same colour as when you fitted them.

What is the dental veneer procedure?

The first step is a consultation with the dentist. The dentist will ask about your concerns and the result you want to achieve, then assess your gum and teeth health. Your gums and teeth should be healthy before any cosmetic treatment, including porcelain veneers.

If you haven't had a recent dental check-up, you can get a check-up and teeth cleaning. If your gum and teeth are healthy, the dentist will check if you are a good candidate for porcelain veneers based on your requests and expectations. This will determine if you can get veneers with or without tooth removal.

Before you proceed, you will have a Trial smile procedure showing the veneers' size and shape. A trial wax-up or smile is when the dentist makes a mock-up of your veneers with wax on a cast model of your teeth. This allows you to see the result you can achieve with the veneers. If you need tooth removal or other modifications, you will see it on the Trial smiles.

If you are happy with the result of the Trial smile, the dentist will treat and modify your teeth, if necessary, as discussed at your Trial smile stage. The dentist will take your teeth impressions and fit temporary veneers based on your treatment plan. The temporary veneer gives you an idea of how your permanent porcelain veneer will look on your teeth and if minor changes are necessary.

The next stage is fitting the veneers. If the dentist is satisfied with the outcome of the veneer and you are happy with the size, colour and shape of the veneer, you can have the veneer fitted.

How long do porcelain veneers last?

How long porcelain veneer will last will depend on several factors, such as:

• Accidental damage
• Patient's diet
• Whether the patient grinds their teeth or not
• The patient's habit
• The position of the teeth and the patient's bite

Generally, porcelain veneers can last for 7 – 10 years. Some veneers may also last longer than others.

You can get porcelain veneers at McKennell Dental Practice. Visit us today or call 020 7834 8802 to schedule an appointment with our dentist for your porcelain veneers.