Ceramic veneers

With ceramic veneers you can have the „Hollywood smile” in surprisingly short time!
It might be the right choice for you if you have discoloured or irregular teeth. A permanent and beautiful solution within a week!

What is a ceramic veneer?

Ceramic – or porcelain – veneers are thin (0.5 – 1 mm) covering layers to the teeth made in a dental laboratory. Veneers are used for aesthetical reasons, mainly to correct the irregularities of the front teeth. With veneers the shape, the shade and the size of the teeth can be corrected, even the interdental gaps can be eliminated. The result can be similar to an orthodontic treatment, only much quicker in time.

Unlike the crowns the veneers are applied only to the front surface of the teeth so considerably less tooth preparation is needed. (Please note that tooth preparation – even it is small – is an irreversible process.)

The shade and the transparency of the ceramic veneers are identical to the natural teeth so with this method, which is extremely popular amongst the hollywood stars, you can achieve a truly brilliant and natural looking smile.

In which cases are ceramic veneers used?

• uneven tooth, alignment of the tooth edges
• chipped or cracked front teeth
• root canal treated and/or discoloured teeth
• to eliminate gaps between teeth
• to lengthen teeth
• to correct enamel inaccuracies
• to achieve perfectly even teeth

In which cases are ceramic veneers not applicable?

• If the front teeth are damaged to the point that chewing is hindered. In this case full crowns are indicated.
• Negligent oral hygiene.
• Heavy bruxism (nighttime grinding of teeth).
• In case of certain occlusal (bite) disorders.
• In case of the inflammation of the gum or the periodontal tissues. In these cases the inflammation has to be treated first.
• If you use sport mouthguard or playing a wind instrument please ask your dentist for advise as in these cases veneers have a limited usability only.

What steps does the treatment consist of?

Before the treatment an in chair scale and polish treatment is carried out. To achieve optimal result it is recommended to do the tooth whitening prior to preparing the veneers so that the shade of the veneers can be adjusted to the whitened teeth. Then the front surface of the teeth is prepared by removing 0.5 – 1 mm of the tooth material in local anaesthesia.

After the preparation the dentist will take an impression of the prepared teeth and in cooperation with the patient the shade, the shape and the character of the veneers are chosen. Until the final veneers are produced in the dental laboratory the dentist fits temporary veneers on the teeth.

On the second visit a final try-in is done when the dentist checks the veneers and then the veneers are permanently fixed to the teeth with a special bonding material. At this moment the patient is just a final polishing away from sporting a brilliant smile!