Porcelain veneers offer a fast and straightforward way to change your smile. If you are uncomfortable with your smile because your teeth are uneven, oddly shaped, chipped, or crooked, veneers provide a natural-looking option. Porcelain veneers are thin porcelain sheets used on the front teeth only to change the color and/or shape of your teeth. They are long-lasting and resistant to stains, ensuring that your smile will stay beautiful and radiant for years to come.

Are Dental Veneers Right for You?

If teeth whitening isn’t a viable solution and you’d like to avoid having a crown placed, porcelain veneers may be something to consider. Unlike teeth whitening, veneers don’t remove stains from the teeth; they cover them up instead. They can also be used to successfully mask other flaws like small gaps between the teeth, discolored teeth, uneven teeth, or misaligned teeth. Porcelain veneers can’t be removed once placed because they are permanently bonded to the teeth. Therefore, you have to be willing to make a permanent change to the appearance of your smile.

What are Porcelain Veneers?

Although resin composite veneers are also available, most patients opt for porcelain veneers. That’s mostly because porcelain veneers look the most natural. They consist of extremely thin pieces of porcelain. Most veneers are just a few millimeters thick. They are also mostly translucent, so they reflect the light in a way that closely mimics natural teeth. This is important because opaque veneers would be very apparent and make your smile look unnatural.

Porcelain veneers are custom-designed for each patient. Your dentist will examine the affected teeth to ensure the correct veneers are designed. Impressions and X-rays may also be used to facilitate the design process. The goal is to create wafer-thin veneers that fit as naturally as possible over the teeth. When correctly designed, it’s virtually impossible to tell that they have been placed. Stains and other imperfections will be gone, but the teeth will look completely natural.

Veneers are bonded permanently to the teeth using special cement. When they are placed, the cement is cured with a special light, which causes a chemical reaction. This chemical reaction is what actually bonds the veneer permanently to the tooth. Although it’s technically possible for a veneer to become dislodged or to fall off, it’s exceedingly rare. The typical porcelain veneer should last a decade or more, making it a viable long-term solution to dental imperfections.