Veneers

Veneers are a restorative procedure often used to enhance the aesthetics of your smile by altering the position, shape, size, shade or function of your teeth. They can be made of two materials: porcelain or composite. Depending on your unique dental needs and desires, Dr. Mathai will help you choose the most appropriate type of veneer for your case. After proper record taking, which will include an examination, xrays, photographs, and possibly impressions and pre-operative laboratory work to create a “mock up” of your new smile, you’ll be ready for your veneers.

What is the difference between porcelain veneers and composite veneers?

Porcelain veneers are thin shells of porcelain adhered to the outer surface of the tooth. Composite veneers are made of resin affixed to the outer surface and have similar properties to the composite material used to treat cavities. Both are made to match your teeth (or whiten them) and improve your smile.

Time

The quicker of the two dental veneers to be applied to the teeth are composite veneers. This is because they can be done chairside in one visit. Dr. Mathai will match the resin to the shade of your surrounding teeth for the most natural look. The resin is added to your teeth, cured and then polished, and typically requires no preparation of the teeth, making it ideal for those needing minimal alterations or younger patients.

Porcelain veneers take at least two visits, roughly 3 weeks apart to complete. Dr. Mathai will prepare a very thin layer of your teeth, take an impression of the teeth receiving the veneers, and send the mold to a lab. While you are waiting on your veneer(s) to be fabricated, you will wear temporary veneers. When you come back for your second visit, your porcelain veneers will be bonded to your teeth with cement.

Durability

With proper care, porcelain veneers should last 10-15 years. Composite veneers, on the other hand, typically last 4-8 years. Both types of restorations will fail much sooner if there is grinding/clenching or if you use your teeth as tools other than for eating reasonably-dense foods. Oral hygienie at home and with a dentist is also a must. While porcelain is fragile, once bonded to a healthy tooth it is extremely durable. Composite is durable but not as strong as porcelain and is more prone to chipping, and will stain/discolor over time, especially if you consume brightly colored foods/beverages. If damage were to happen to a veneer, it would most likely have to be replaced.

Aesthetics

The translucent properties of porcelain allow the veneer to catch light extremely similar to the way a natural tooth does. While composite resin still looks great, porcelain is unmatched in its ability to provide a supreme aesthetic result. An incredible benefit of porcelain veneers is they are stain resistant. If you receive this type of veneer on most of your upper and lower teeth, this could mean never having to whiten your natural teeth. Composite resin will stain like natural teeth.