Porcelain dental veneers are a beautiful way to correct stained, chipped, or crooked teeth. By placing modern ceramic porcelain on the surface of teeth, Dr. Popp can provide you with a bright, straight, and natural looking smile.
Modern porcelain veneers are thin shells of tooth-colored, translucent porcelain custom made to fit over your teeth and improve their color, shape and overall appearance. With porcelain veneers Dr. Popp can can dramatically improve your smile and appearance.
Placement of dental veneers is sometimes referred to as “instant orthodontics” because they can be used to cover a variety of dental problems involving teeth in the “smile zone” including:
- Spaces between the teeth.
- Poorly shaped or crooked teeth.
- Broken or chipped teeth.
- Permanently externally stained and/or internally stained teeth.
- Unsightly or stained fillings.
Porcelain veneers can improve the appearance of the teeth but they cannot realign the jaw or correct overbites and underbites.
Treatment Time
Two office visits. The teeth will be prepared and an impression made on the first visit, which can take from one to four hours. The laminates will be fitted and inserted at the second visit, which may take the same amount of time. Expect to spend more time for more extensive treatment.
Patient Maintenance
The teeth should be professionally cleaned about three to four times yearly. Some precautions: as with bonding and crowning, take special care when chewing hard foods or biting into foods with your laminated teeth, to avoid chipping or potential fracture.
Results of Treatment
A polished, natural-appearing result that can make teeth appear straighter and whiter.
Average Range of Treatment Life Expectancy
Ten to fifteen years.
Cost
Approximately $1400 to $1800.
Advantages
- Porcelain veneers create a very life-like tooth appearance
- Do not stain – does not lose color or luster
- Can be used to correct slight misalignment, “instant Orthodonitcs”
- Gum tissue tolerates porcelain well
Disadvantages
- A small amount of enamel needs to be removed before a veneer is placed resulting in a change of your natural teeth’s look.
- Once you’ve undergone this procedure it’s irreversible and your teeth will not look pleasing without the veneer
- Porcelain veneers can chip or come off if not cared for properly. To improve their durability and longevity you need to maintain consistent good oral hygiene and have regular dental examinations and cleanings at least twice each year. In addition, you must avoid using them to bite or crack hard objects like nuts and ice.