Porcelain veneers 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. Most people who want porcelain veneers want to have whiter teeth. If there is nothing wrong with the shape or alignment of your teeth, then "bleaching" may be a better option. (See our tab on "whitening".) If the tooth shade is fine but the alignment is poor then Invisalign^® orthodontics without braces may be a better option. (See our tab on "Invisalign")

Veneers have a life of about 10 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 #1

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). 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 them over time. We did whiten her lowers  by using about 3 times the bleaching time that it would take for someone in their 30's to bleach. It would have been nice to put veneers on the lower teeth too, but in her natural smile, as you can  see   she doesn't show any lower teeth.      

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SMILE UP-DATE #2

The photos below show deep discoloration, unsightly old fillings, and poor alignment, problems for a very successful 40 year old business man. This tetracycline staining was not going to improve with any amount of bleaching because the color comes from deep inside the tooth, so we chose to up-date his smile with veneers.

After 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 19 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, will be to come chat with me (Dr. Lynda) about your goals and options.