Porcelain Veneers

 

COSMETIC DENTISTRY CAN CHANGE LIVES.... We see it every week in our office!

  Hannah's (age 20) BEFORE photo                                    and AFTER photo

I'm opening this webpage with Hannah's note because we get this kind of sentiment so frequently and her words so perfectly describe our goal with our cosmetic dentistry: We want people to wear a smile in the world that reflects their best inner glow, and we want them to have a delightful experience getting there.

Hannah drove 4 hours to get to our office because in her research she found that we had the best reputation for this procedure.



HERE'S THE STORY ON A PROCEDURE CALL "PORCELAIN VENEERS":

(For other less dramatic cosmetic problems, check out our menu bar for "cosmetic dentistry")

All Porcelain Veneers  (even Lumineers) are thin shells of very strong  glass that are bonded to the surface of your natural teeth to improve your smile. Porcelain Veneers basically fit over your tooth like a false fingernail fits over your natural nail.  A lab man goes to painstaking lengths to see that the color, brightness, and shape of the veneers achieve the goals set by the dentist and patient.

Hannah (in the previous photos) was a college kid who had been embarrassed about her smile her whole life. Being college age, it was time to make a dramatic move. 

But more often, we rehabilitate smiles that have deteriorated over many years. The next photos are of a 50 year old woman who once had beautiful teeth! (She brought us her senior pictures from high school!) As an adult, she had smoked, and she had some unusual habits that had moved and broken her front teeth.Here's another example of the life-changing kinds of results we can get with porcelain veneers

BEFORE                                                                                        AFTER

  

WOW!! ... This result even surprised us!

 

We don't do porcelain veneers for every patient who has a complaint about their smile. It's just one tool in the tool box. 

Veneers are best for people who have defective enamel (like Hannah's) that will not respond to bleaching, and people who have a tooth size or position that can't be repaired with simpler measures.

You may have just the perfect situation for veneers, or you may be able to get the changes you want without veneers. It sounds like a pitch,... but the only way to know is to come in for a visit, and I can teach you about the best options for you.

For instance, many people who want porcelain veneers simply want to have whiter teeth. If there is nothing wrong with the enamel structure, shape or alignment of your teeth, then whitening may be a better option than veneers. It could be much less expensive and much easier to maintain.  

If you're thinking about veneers because you don't like the shape or alignment of your teeth, then Invisalign^® orthodontics without braces, plus simple bleaching may be a better option. 

In any case, there are a host of cosmetic options for you to consider. We can show you hundreds of Before/After photos that represent ALL the various choices you have. Veneers have a life of about 10-15  years depending on the stability of your gums, staining habits and habits that are rough on your teeth such as clenching and grinding.

Veneers are much more predictable and very low maintenance compared to cosmetic bonding.

Cosmetic bonding is always less expensive, but not as predictable and not quite as natural looking as veneers. The pictures that follow will show you a few cases where porcelain veneer were the best choice and I will discuss some of the "side issues" that may relate to your particular situation.

SMILE UP-DATE for a "mature smile"

                   

 

Porcelain veneers are ideal for teeth like those in the photo that you see above. The teeth on the left are those of a beautiful 69 year old lady (Dr. Lynda's mother!) who dresses impeccably and never goes anywhere with less than her best face. She really felt she wanted her teeth to look as healthy and happy as she was. Her chief complaints were the yellowing color and the irregular worn down edges. We did not put veneers on her lower teeth because she is a tooth grinder and would have chipped lower veneers too quickly. We did whiten her lowers  by using about 3 times the bleaching time that it would take for someone in their 30's. It would have been nice to put veneers on the lower teeth too, but in her natural smile (at right), as you can see she doesn't show any lower teeth.

 

SMILE UP-DATE for "business success"

		The photos here show deep discoloration, unsightly old fillings, and poor alignment, problems for a very successful 30 year old business man. This tetracycline staining was not going to improve with any amount of bleaching because the dark color comes from deep inside the tooth. So here, we chose to up-date his smile with veneers.
		After his new porcelain veneers! In this case, we were able to do veneers on both upper and lower teeth and we have a lovely profound improvement. ***This gentleman is still a patient of mine and still has these veneers after 20 years! (not pictured) - The only change has been that his gums have receded a bit so the tiny edges of the veneers show at the gum-line. Other than that, he has had a very long life from this investment.

The only way you will know what the best option for you is to come chat with me (Dr. Lynda) about your goals and options.