Porcelain Veneers

Veneers are thin cosmetic restorations which cover the front surface of a tooth or multiple teeth to improve their appearance. Where whitening changes only color and bonding repairs a single defect, veneers let us control color, shape, length, and apparent alignment together.

What veneers correct

• Teeth that will not respond to whitening — intrinsic staining, or a single darker tooth
• Chips, worn edges, and uneven lengths
• Small gaps between the front teeth
• Teeth that are slightly rotated or crowded, where the goal is appearance rather than orthodontic correction
• Teeth that are narrow or misshapen relative to their neighbors

How the process works

Veneers are planned before anything is prepared. We start with photographs, models, and a conversation about what you actually want changed — that last part is the one people skip, and it is the one that determines whether you like the result.

A conservative amount of enamel is removed from the front of each tooth so the porcelain sits flush rather than bulking the tooth outward. We take impressions, fit temporaries, and the veneers are made by a laboratory technician working from our specifications and shade photographs. At the final visit each veneer is tried in, checked with you in the mirror, and then bonded.

Living with veneers

Bonded porcelain is strong, and with reasonable care veneers last many years. What shortens their life is force: grinding, clenching, chewing ice, or opening things with your front teeth. If you grind, we will make you a nightguard, and we would rather do that at the start than replace a fractured veneer later.

Porcelain does not stain the way natural enamel does, and it does not lighten with bleach. Because of that, whitening — if you want it — is done before the veneers are made, and the porcelain is matched to the shade you have decided to keep.

Veneers or crowns?

A veneer covers the front of a tooth. A crown covers all of it. If a tooth is structurally sound and the concern is appearance, a veneer is the more conservative choice. If the tooth is heavily filled, cracked, or has had a root canal, a crown is usually the more sensible one. We will tell you which situation you are in.