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All About Veneers
Added: (Tue Jun 30 2009)
There are many dental restorative materials nowadays. One such restorative material is a dental veneer. According to a San Diego cosmetic dentistry expert, a dental veneer is a thin layer of restorative material placed over a tooth surface. It is often used to improve the aesthetics of the tooth, protect a damaged tooth surface, align teeth, or as an alternative to tooth whitening.
A dental veneer procedure can be done by a San Diego cosmetic dentists with the use of little or no local anesthesia. Most of the time, a reduction of 0.5 mm from the tooth is also necessary. Sometimes, the veneer is constructed to just be placed on top of the tooth so that there’s minimal reduction in the tooth.
Many San Diego cosmetic dentists use veneers as a quick solution to simple orthodontic cases or sometimes, veneers are used in combination with orthodontics. Dental veneers are also used as alternatives to crowns, composite resin bonding, or cosmetic contouring.
Not all dental veneers are the same. A veneer can be either of two types, porcelain or ceramic. Both of them are fabricated by a dental technician in a dental laboratory. However, only composite veneers may be directly fabricated inside the mouth. Porcelain veneers, on the other hand, are longer lasting and more expensive. While porcelain veneers have a tendency to fracture, composite veneers are easier to repair.
There are many reasons why the use of veneers is one of the most popular cosmetic dentistry treatments. Below are just some of them.
* Instant makeover for your teeth, giving you a dazzling and more balanced smile.
* Hides cracks, chips, discoloration, and misalignment of teeth.
* May enhance other dental treatments like teeth whitening, full-mouth reconstruction, TMJ treatment, or neuromuscular dentistry.
Just like any dental treatment or procedure, the use of dental veneers also has its risks. Below are some of them:
* Not removable. Once a veneer is placed on your teeth, there’s no removing it unless it’s to replace it with another veneer.
* Irreversible. Careful thought is needed because the placing of veneers involves some reduction in your teeth.
* May need to be replaced in the future. If a veneer breaks then it’s a must for it to be replaced if it’s porcelain or repaired if it’s composite.
* May cause tooth trauma or sensitivity.