PORCELAIN VENEERS & BONDING
If you’re looking to fix the way your teeth look, cosmetic treatments like porcelain veneers or tooth bonding can help you to enhance the shape, color, size or other imperfections with your smile.
PORCELAIN VENEERS
Veneers are very thin pieces of durable, tooth shaped porcelain that are custom made (for shape and color) by a professional dental laboratory. They are bonded onto the front of teeth to create a beautiful and attractive smile.
Veneers can completely reshape your teeth and smile. They can often be alternatives to crowns and the ideal solution in treating many dental conditions. As with most dental restorations, veneers are not permanent and may someday need replacement. They are very durable and will last many years, giving you a beautiful long-lasting smile.
- Cosmetically, to create a uniform, white, beautiful smile.
- Crooked teeth.
- Misshapen teeth.
- Severely discolored or stained teeth.
- Teeth that are too small or large.
- Unwanted or uneven spaces.
- Worn or chipped teeth.
- Getting veneers usually requires two visits to complete the process, with little or no anesthesia required during the procedure.
- Teeth are prepared by lightly buffing and shaping the surface to allow for the thickness of the veneer.
- A mold or impression of the teeth is taken and a shade (color) will then be chosen by you and the dentist.
- On the second visit the teeth will be cleansed with special liquids to achieve a durable bond.
- Bonding cement is then placed between the tooth and veneer and a special light beam is used to harden and set the bond.
- You will receive care instructions for veneers which includes proper brushing, flossing and regular dental visits to aid in the life of your new veneers.
BONDING
Tooth Bonding is a great option for minor corrections to your teeth.
The procedure is called bonding because the material bonds to the tooth. The application of a tooth-colored composite resin (plastic). It can be shaped and polished to match the surrounding teeth to repair misshapen, decayed, chipped, fractured or discolored tooth. Unlike veneers, which are manufactured in a laboratory and require a customized mold to achieve a proper fit, bonding can be done in a single visit. Veneers are for more extensive smile restorations.
- Repair a decayed, tooth.
- Severely discolored or stained teeth.
- Too small, too large or misshapen teeth
- Unwanted or uneven spaces.
- Worn or chipped or fractured teeth
- Bonding can usually be done in one visit. Anesthesia often is not necessary, unless the bonding is being used to fill a decayed tooth
- Your dentist will then select a composite resin color that will match the color of the tooth most closely.
- The dentist will slightly abrade or etch the surface of the tooth to roughen it.
- The tooth will be coated lightly with a conditioning liquid, which helps the bonding material adhere.
- The tooth-colored, putty-like resin is applied and is molded and smoothed until it's the proper shape. The material is then hardened with an ultraviolet light or laser.
- Your dentist will further trim and shape it and polish the material until it matches the sheen of the rest of the tooth surface.
Tea, coffee, cigarette smoke and other substances can stain the resin. In addition, brush your teeth often and have them cleaned regularly Bonding usually lasts several years before it needs to be repaired. How long it lasts depends on how much bonding was done and your oral habits.
