Beautiful and functional
The premier standard in cosmetic dentistry
What Are Porcelain Veneers?
Porcelain veneers, also called porcelain laminates or simply veneers, are formed porcelain shells that are used to create a new front surface to a tooth. They are thinly sculpted pieces of porcelain that fit over the front of the tooth. They are the flagship cosmetic dentistry procedure because they are able to mimic natural teeth nearly perfectly and they are so versatile.
Veneers can be used to improve a variety of dental concerns including midline spaces (called diastemas), chipped, crooked, missing, malformed, or discolored teeth. They are also used to restore or improve position, shape, and tooth color. The shape of your porcelain veneers, in combination with the occlusal adjustments (adjusting the bite), can have a profound impact on the entire face. By building out certain teeth and possibly reducing others, we can restore fullness around the mouth and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, a technique we call “anti-aging dentistry.”
Since they are permanently bonded to the front surface of a tooth, porcelain veneers are a popular way for many people to obtain the smile of their dreams. You can have pretty much any look you want.
How Are Veneers at the Atlanta Center for Cosmetic Dentistry Different?
Dentists are trained to fix things, and almost any dentist can create a set of porcelain veneers that will be functionally acceptable. However, a beautiful set of porcelain veneers is as much art as it is science, and very few dentists have the artistic inclination required to create them. There are also post-graduate training programs available for dentists to educate those artistic inclinations, that train dentists in the art of smile design, which determines the colors, line angles, shapes, thickness, translucency, occlusion, and many other factors that our cosmetic dentists prescribe. Then there is also a wide variation in artistic skill in the dental ceramists who actually create the veneers. A beautiful smile makeover is a teamwork project that requires an artistic, highly trained cosmetic dentist paired with an equally artistic and highly trained master ceramist. Our dentists and ceramists all meet these criteria.
Veneers should be custom designed to fit your face, smile, personality, and gender. When done correctly, they look and feel like real teeth. Your vision and preferences help shape your treatment, but part of why you select a cosmetic dentist is his or her experience and artistry. Computer imaging, as well as before and after photos of other cases, will help you decide on the style, shape, and color that work best for you.
How Long Do Veneers Last?
This question is similar to asking how long natural teeth will last. There are a variety of factors that can impact their longevity. Like many fine things in life, the life expectancy of veneers depends on how well they’re cared for, as well as the condition of teeth, bone, and gums prior to and after treatment. The porcelain itself is harder than tooth enamel and extremely stain resistant. They don’t wear out. While there is no definite rule about how long porcelain restorations will last, many patients have had them for 10 to 20 years. When done properly and with the high quality of porcelain we provide and our attention to detail in their fabrication and placement, they can last even much longer than that.
Are You a Candidate for Porcelain Veneers?
Almost anyone with teeth can be a candidate for porcelain veneers. Depending on the condition of your teeth and smile goals, our doctors will recommend the most functional and beautiful type of restoration for you. In addition to being the optimal aesthetic option for teeth, porcelain can also be used to replace mercury fillings, old crowns, or to improve tooth condition. Porcelain veneers are also a perfect alternative to braces, since crooked teeth, gaps, and bite adjustments can be corrected in as little as two weeks. For our patients who have undergone orthodontic treatment, veneers can give them the final touch for their ideal smile.
Click to download our comprehensive guide to porcelain veneers.
Visit our smile gallery for examples of the beauty and versatility of porcelain veneers.
