What Can Porcelain Veneers Correct and Conceal?

Porcelain veneers are a powerful tool for addressing various cosmetic dental concerns, often crafted in a dental lab, offering a comprehensive smile makeover:

• Conceal Discoloration and Stains: If your teeth are severely discolored or stained, even after professional whitening, porcelain veneers can provide a permanently brighter, whiter smile. They are highly resistant to future stains from coffee, tea, and other foods.
• Hide Chips and Cracks: Minor chips or small cracks in your teeth can be effectively covered by veneers, restoring a smooth, unblemished appearance.
• Correct Unevenness and Gaps: Dental veneers can reshape uneven teeth, lengthen teeth that appear too short, or close small gaps and spaces between teeth without orthodontics.
• Improve Tooth Alignment: For minor alignment issues or slightly crooked teeth, veneers can create the appearance of a perfectly straight smile, offering a faster alternative to braces in some cases.

The Porcelain Veneer Process

Initial Consultation and Smile Design

Your journey begins with a detailed consultation with Dr. Abbo. We’ll discuss your aesthetic aspirations, evaluate your oral health, and determine if porcelain veneers are the ideal solution for your smile goals. We may use digital imaging to help you visualize your potential new smile. This is a collaborative phase where your input is crucial to the design.

Tooth Preparation

For most porcelain veneers, a small amount of enamel (typically less than a millimeter) is gently removed from the front surface of the teeth. This minimal preparation allows the veneers to bond securely and sit flush with your natural teeth, avoiding a bulky appearance. After preparation, precise impressions (molds) of your teeth are taken.

Temporary Veneer Placement

While your custom porcelain veneers are being meticulously crafted in a specialized dental laboratory, Dr. Abbo may place temporary veneers. These protect your prepared teeth and give you a preview of your new smile’s shape and size, allowing you to provide feedback. The mold of your tooth sent to the dental laboratory usually takes 2-4 weeks to return with the veneers, ensuring a precise and tailored fit.

Final Veneer Placement

Once your permanent, custom-made porcelain veneers arrive from the lab, you’ll return to our Davie, FL office. Dr. Abbo will carefully remove the temporary veneers and then meticulously bond the permanent ones to your teeth using a strong, long-lasting dental adhesive. The dentist cements the veneer to the tooth and uses UV light to harden the cement quickly, ensuring a secure and durable bond.

Candidacy for Porcelain Veneer Placement

Determining if you are a good candidate involves a careful evaluation by our dental team at Davie Advanced Dentistry. We assess your oral health and listen closely to your aesthetic goals. Generally, ideal candidates for porcelain and composite veneers are:

• Possess Healthy Teeth and Gums: A fundamental requirement for veneers is a healthy foundation. 
• Have Sufficient Tooth Enamel: A small amount of enamel is typically removed from the front surface of the teeth to allow the veneers to bond securely and sit flush. 
• Practice Good Oral Hygiene: Maintaining excellent daily oral hygiene (brushing and flossing) is crucial for the health of your natural teeth underneath and the longevity of your veneers.
• Are Free from Habits Like Severe Teeth Grinding (Bruxism): Habitual teeth grinding or clenching can put excessive pressure on veneers, potentially causing them to chip or break. 

Benefits of Porcelain Veneers: Long-Term Smile Perfection

Choosing porcelain veneers at Davie Advanced Dentistry offers several benefits, leading to a long-lasting, perfected smile that enhances your appearance and confidence. These advantages go beyond immediate cosmetic improvements:

• Striking Natural Appearance: Porcelain veneers are meticulously crafted to mimic the translucent quality and subtle variations of natural tooth enamel. 
• Exceptional Stain Resistance: Unlike natural tooth enamel, porcelain is highly resistant to stains from common culprits like coffee, tea, red wine, and tobacco. 
• Remarkable Durability and Longevity: With proper care and regular dental checkups, porcelain veneers can last 10 to 15 years, or even longer, offering a durable and reliable solution for long-term smile perfection.
• Minimally Invasive Procedure: Compared to other restorative options like crowns, the preparation for porcelain veneers typically requires only a minimal amount of enamel removal from the front surface of your teeth. 
• Quick and Dramatic Transformation: While the process involves a few appointments, porcelain veneers offer a relatively fast path to a dramatically improved smile. 

Caring for Porcelain Veneers

With proper care, your porcelain veneers can remain beautiful and strong for many years, often lasting 10 to 15 years or even longer. Here’s how to maintain your radiant new composite resin veneers:

• Maintain Excellent Oral Hygiene: Brush your teeth and veneers at least twice a day with a non-abrasive toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush. Floss daily, paying attention to the gum line around your veneers, just as you would your natural teeth.
• Regular Dental Checkups: Continue your routine dental checkups and cleanings at Davie Advanced Dentistry. These visits allow Dr. Abbo to monitor the health of your veneers and your surrounding natural teeth and gums.
• Avoid Hard or Sticky Foods: While porcelain veneers are durable, avoid biting directly into ice, hard candies, or unpopped popcorn kernels, or using your teeth to open packages, as this can chip or damage them.
• Address Issues Promptly: If you notice any chips, cracks, or looseness with your traditional porcelain veneers, contact Davie Advanced Dentistry immediately. Early intervention can often prevent more significant problems.