_____________________________________________________________

Porcelain veneers are cosmetic restorations that can function to beautify your smile with minimal loss of tooth structure. Among other things, veneers can visually straighten teeth, make them whiter, make them a more attractive shape or can even close spaces.

After some preoperative diagnosis and treatment planning, the actual procedure can be done in a morning. You will leave the office wearing temporaries until it is time to return to get the final restorations seated permanently, usually about two to three weeks later. Veneers can be done on upper and lower teeth, and most patients usually do from four to ten upper teeth, since these are most obvious when a person smiles. Usually, treating the upper ten provides the best results cosmetically.

Veneers usually only cover the front of the tooth, and therefore are fingernail thin. Dental technology in porcelain has made it possible for such thin material to also provide enough strength and stability to resist fracture. (Think of floor tiles. By themselves they are very fragile, but once they are tacked down to the floor, they are strengthened and can withstand heavy use.) Because porcelain veneers are so thin, tooth reduction is kept at a minimum.

With the proper care, veneers can last a lifetime, giving you not only a more youthful appearance, but also a renewed outlook and increased confidence for many years to come.