Click to view a before and after gallery of how Veneers can improve your smile

It’s fast, easy and painless. Do you have a crooked smile and don’t want to spend two years getting that Hollywood smile? Are your teeth worn, chipped, discolored and just not looking like they used to in your prime? You can restore your youthful appearance in one or two short appointments with long lasting cosmetic porcelain veneers.

Dental veneers are a form of cosmetic dentistry in which a wafer-thin, custom-made shell of tooth-colored material (usually porcelain laminate, lumineers or procera porcelain) is designed to cover the front surface of teeth to improve appearance.  These shells are bonded to the front of the teeth changing their color, shape, size or length.

Dental veneers also protect the surface of damaged teeth and may eliminate the need for more extensive treatments.  Other benefits of veneers include durability, an improved smile appearance, and the need for little-to-no removal of tooth structure compared to crowns.  If you have severely dull or discolored teeth, your treatment options may include porcelain dental veneers or composite veneers.  Veneers do have the added benefit of longevity and a proven ability to enhance the appearance of the mouth, smile and other facial features that are better supported by properly shaped teeth.

Veneers are routinely used to fix:

• Discolored teeth – either because of root canal treatments; stains from tetracycline or other drugs, excessive fluoride or other causes; or the presence of large resin or amalgam fillings that have discolored the tooth.
• Teeth that are worn down.
• Chipped or broken teeth.
• Teeth that are misaligned, uneven or irregularly shaped (for example, have craters or bulges in them).
• Teeth with gaps between them (to close the space between these teeth or after orthodontics).

This first step involves active participation between you and your dentist.  During this appointment your dentist will examine your teeth to make sure dental veneers are appropriate for you and discuss what the procedures will involve and some of its limitations.  We may also take x-rays and make impressions of your mouth and teeth.

To prepare a tooth for a veneer, your dentist will remove a small amount (about ½ millimeter) of excess enamel from the tooth surface, which is an amount nearly equal to the thickness of the veneer to be added to the tooth surface.  Next, your dentist will make a model or impression of your teeth.  This model is sent out to a dental laboratory, which in turn construct your veneers according to the dentist’s instruction.  In many cases temporary dental veneers won’t be necessary. It usually takes 1 to 2 weeks for your dentist to receive the veneers back from the laboratory.

Before the dental veneers are permanently cemented to your teeth, your dentist will temporarily place them on your teeth to examine their fit and color.  The veneer color is adjusted with the shade of cement to provide a perfect match.  Next, to prepare your tooth to receive the veneer, your tooth will be cleaned, polished and chemically treated – which allows for a strong bonding process.  Special cement is applied to the veneers and the veneers are then placed on your teeth.  Once properly positioned on the tooth, your dentist will apply a special light beam to the dental veneers, which activates chemicals in the cement causing it to harden or cure very quickly.  The final steps involve removing any excess cement, evaluating your bite and making any final adjustments in the veneers as necessary.

There are many advantages to dental veneers.  Dental veneers provide a natural tooth appearance.  Gum tissue tolerates porcelain well.  Porcelain veneers are stain resistant.  The color of a porcelain veneer can be selected such that it makes dark teeth appear whiter.  Veneers offer a conservative approach to changing a tooth’s color and shape.

Veneers usually last for many years and require very little special care.  Continue to follow good oral hygiene practices including brushing and flossing as you normally would.

Veneer Before and After Gallery

These are Dr Cohen’s actual patients.