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Veneers
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Teeth that are badly stained, shaped
or crooked may be improved by a veneer placed on the surface
of the affected teeth.
Veneers are thin pieces of porcelain or plastic cemented over the front of your
teeth to change their color or shape. Veneers are used on teeth with uneven surfaces
or are chipped, discolored, oddly shaped, unevenly spaced or crooked. Little
or no anesthesia is needed. Veneers have a longer life expectancy and color stability
than bonding, and highly resist permanent staining from coffee, tea, or even
cigarette smoking.
Veneers are usually made by a dental lab technician working from a model provided
by your dentist. Veneers are usually irreversible because it's necessary to remove
a small amount of enamel from your teeth to accommodate the shell.
Porcelain veneers can mask undesirable defects, such as teeth stained by tetracycline,
by an injury, or as a result of a root-canal procedure, and are ideal for masking
discolored fillings in front teeth. Patients with gaps between their front teeth
or teeth that are chipped or worn may consider porcelain veneers.
Typically, veneers entail at least three appointments: diagnosis and treatment
planning, preparation, and bonding.
During the tooth preparation visit, usually lasting one to two hours, the teeth
are lightly buffed to allow for the small added thickness of the veneer. Usually,
about a half a millimeter of the tooth is removed, which may require a local
anesthetic. During the same visit, a mold is taken of the teeth, and sent to
the laboratory for the fabrication of the veneers.
During the final "bonding" visit, also about one or two hours, the veneers are
placed on the tooth surface with water or glycerine on the teeth to check their
fit and get a sense of the shade or color. While the veneers are resting on your
teeth, they can be adjusted with various shades of cement to match the color
of your teeth. To apply the veneer, the tooth is cleansed with specific chemicals
to achieve a bond. Once a special cement is sandwiched between the veneer and
tooth, a visible light beam, or laser, causes a catalyst to be released, hardening
the cement.
During a two-week period of adjustment that follows, you may notice the change
of size and shape in your teeth. It is important to brush and floss daily. After
one or two weeks, you'll return for a follow-up appointment. Porcelain veneers
are reasonable facsimiles of natural teeth, not perfect replacements. It's not
uncommon to see slight variations in the color of porcelain veneers upon close
inspection, as this occurs even in natural teeth.
Some of Dr. Karst's Veneer Results
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