Your dentist in Hungary

Porcelain Veneers

Dental veneers are custom-designed shells of tooth-like ceramic material that, when applied over the surface of a tooth, can cover worn tooth enamel, uneven tooth alignment or spacing and chips or cracks.

Dental veneers fall into the category of cosmetic dentistry because they create a bright, white smile with beautifully aligned, shapely teeth. Even better, the translucent ceramic quality of today's veneers provides a more natural look than what’s been available in the past.

Regardless of what causes unattractive teeth, dental veneers may solve most or even all of your cosmetic dental issues, including:

  • Worn enamel: Over time, the thin, hard white substance covering your teeth (enamel) may become worn, dulled, and discolored. Such wear and discoloration may be natural or the result of a genetic predisposition; however, it is often a result of your habits (soft drink, tea, or coffee consumption, smoking, medication use, etc.).
  • Wear and tear: Teeth naturally wear down as people age. Aged teeth are more likely to have chips, cracks or a generally uneven appearance.
  • Genetics: Certain people may be born with abnormal spacing between the teeth that grows wider as they age.
  • Uneven teeth: Uneven teeth can result from tooth grinding or general wear and tear.

Porcelain Veneers and Composite Resin Veneers

The two most common materials used in the manufacture of dental veneers are composite resin and porcelain veneers. Both porcelain veneers and composite veneers can be fabricated by a dental technician in a dental laboratory; composite veneers can also be directly fabricated inside your mouth at the dental office.

Dental veneers that are indirectly fabricated — fabricated in a dental laboratory — are bonded to the teeth with various types of resin cement. Of the two options, porcelain veneers are longer lasting and more expensive.

When are Veneers Appropriate?

Bonding often serves as an inexpensive and effective restoration for small chips and cracks in the teeth. Such minor problems may be functionally and cosmetically repaired with a composite "white filling." A composite resin material is bonded to the tooth in order to fill in the chip or crack and better protect the surrounding tooth structure. But for more severe cases of dullness, wear, discoloration, mild chipping, cracking, spacing, or uneven teeth, dental veneers may be recommended as a more appropriate solution.

The Dental Veneer Procedure

The dental veneer procedure can often be completed in two dental visits over the course of a six-week period. The visits are comprehensive and may require several hours of examination, and tooth preparation. Dental offices typically boast amenities that may include sedation dentistry, audio/visual distractions and even massages to help you relax and stay comfortable. The examination stage of the veneer process is essential; it determines any oral health concerns that must first be addressed before treatment progresses. Also, your dentist will work with you to select the best tooth color for you from a special shade chart. Imaging technologies can provide you with a preview of your expected results, and before and after images can allow you to view other successful cases. Once the examination process is completed and the customized plan designed, treatment begins.

The procedure itself has several steps. First, your dentist will likely administer a local anesthetic so you will be comfortable during the preparation of the tooth and the application of the veneer. Then the tooth is prepared by minimally reshaping it to provide the best fit. The tooth is reshaped using a small handheld rotational cutting device called a bur. Burs come in various shapes and sizes and allow for the precise and minimal shaping of a tooth prior to veneer placement.

Next, your dentist will make an impression of your teeth from which a mold of your mouth will be made. This impression may be sent to an outside dental lab so the veneers can be professionally fabricated. Some dentists boast an in-house dental lab and technicians, through which restorative and esthetic materials such as veneers may be fabricated in a shorter period of time. In other cases, dentists have CAD/CAM technology in the office and may fabricate the veneer in one visit.