What is the Procedure for Porcelain Veneers?

Porcelain is actually a very thin material which can be made to resemble the color of natural teeth. This is why it is heavily used in dentistry. Moreover, porcelain veneers are durable and can last for a long time if you take proper care of them.

A bad smile ruin can ruin your confidence and self-esteem. Porcelain veneers can help you re-build that confidence and show off those pearly whites.

Getting porcelain veneers is pain-free and doesn’t even require a lot of visits. Let’s find out more about the procedure:

How Veneers Work

A veneer is a thin shell of porcelain bonded to the front of a tooth. It does not replace the tooth, it covers the visible surface of it. That is why veneers can change the shape, color and alignment of a smile without the tooth itself being replaced.

Because the shell has to sit flush rather than bulk the tooth outward, a small amount of enamel is removed first. That step is what makes veneers permanent. Enamel does not grow back, so once a tooth has been prepared for a veneer it will always need one.

Are You a Good Candidate for Veneers?

Veneers suit people who want to correct the appearance of front teeth that are discolored, chipped, worn, slightly crooked or unevenly spaced, and whose teeth and gums are otherwise healthy.

They are less suitable if you have active decay or gum disease, which need treating first, or significant enamel loss leaving too little to bond to. Heavy grinding is not an automatic no, but it does mean a night guard becomes part of the plan. If your main concern is alignment rather than appearance, aligners or braces may get you a better result than covering the teeth.

Tooth Trimming

The first step involves trimming the tooth that will receive the porcelain veneer. A good dentist will always trim the area of the tooth that shows signs of decay (if any) first before other areas.

The reason your dentist trims the tooth is to adjust the layer of the enamel so that the veneer can be placed correctly.

Tooth trimming also involves removing any old fillings. Several expert dentists have stated that in order to make a bond between the porcelain and the filling, the filling shouldn’t be more than two weeks old. This means its better to get a new filling before the procedure.

While the amount of trimming varies from case to case, normal trimming is about .5 to .7 millimeters.

Is A Sedative Required?

Not in every case. A sedative may be required if the porcelain veneers will need to extend below the gum line. This is because the gum line is a sensitive area and you might experience pain during the procedure.

If you have a dental phobia or do not like being in the dentist’s chair, you can request to be sedated during your porcelain veneer procedure.

Selecting A Shade for The Veneer

Your dentist will choose the color of the porcelain shade based on the color of the rest of your teeth, mainly the surrounding teeth.

Your dentist will also determine which part of the laminae needs to be more translucent so that the new tooth looks just like your real tooth.

Teeth Impression

When the dentist has trimmed your teeth or tooth and cleaned the surrounding area, an impression of your tooth (or teeth) along with the gums and neighboring teeth will be taken. The impression creates an image of your jaw which helps dentists determine how to proceed with veneering explains the Dental Assisting School in Atlanta, GA.

The process involves applying a thick paste-like substance onto the teeth and making the patient bite on a tray to lock an impression. Some dentists also use the camera attached to the chair to take a picture of the teeth.

A Temporary Veneer Is Applied If Necessary

Since it takes around a week or two for the dentist to prepare a porcelain veneer, a temporary veneer may be applied during this period.

Evaluating the Fit

Once the new veneer is ready, the dentist will put it in place to determine the accuracy. This is important because even a slight miscalculation can result in bigger problems. So, the veneer may be placed in your mouth, removed and trimmed several times to get the perfect the fit.

You’ll be asked to bite, close your mouth, and even move your mouth to make sure there is no discomfort when the veneer is in place.

If you feel any pain or any discomfort, make sure to let your dentist know about it right there and then.

Bonding It on The Tooth

Once everything is in place, including the shade, shape, and aesthetics of the veneer, it’s time to get it bonded to your tooth. The surface of both the veneer and your original tooth will be polished before bonding.

An acid gel is then etched onto the surface of the tooth for 20 seconds or less. This process is called etching and it creates a surface that allows the veneer to bond to the original tooth. The gel is then washed off and a bonding agent is placed on the veneer to tighten the bond.

The chosen color of the shade is then squished inside the veneer and a blue light is then passed on to the porcelain veneer for about a minute to finalize the bonding.

This is how a porcelain veneer is placed on a tooth. Once done, the dentist will then clean and floss the teeth to give it some final touches.

Looking for a dentist near me? Dental veneers are a standard process and are performed by almost all qualified dentists, including our dentists. For more details on the process, call our Kirkland dental office at (425) 822-0435 to schedule an appointment.

Visit by Visit: What the Timeline Looks Like

Visit one: consultation and planning

We examine the teeth, talk through what you want changed, and confirm veneers are the right route. Digital scans and photographs are taken, and the shade is chosen with you.

Visit two: preparation and impressions

A thin layer of enamel is removed, a final impression or digital scan is taken, and temporary veneers are fitted while the permanent ones are made. Most people are in the chair one to two hours for this.

Between visits: the lab

The permanent veneers are fabricated to the shape and shade agreed. This typically takes a couple of weeks, and you wear the temporaries in the meantime.

Visit three: fitting and bonding

The temporaries come off and each veneer is tried in to check fit, shape and color before anything is made permanent. Once you are happy, they are bonded and the bite is adjusted.

Start to finish, most cases run two to four weeks across two or three appointments.

Porcelain vs. Composite Veneers

Both cover the front of the tooth, but they are made and applied differently.

Porcelain veneers are made in a lab and bonded on at a later visit. Porcelain reflects light much the way enamel does, so the result tends to look more natural, and it resists staining well. It costs more and takes more than one appointment.

Composite veneers are built up directly on the tooth in a single visit using tooth-colored resin. They cost less and can often be repaired in the chair, but composite stains more readily over time and generally does not last as long as porcelain.

Which one makes sense depends on how many teeth are involved, your budget and how long you want the result to hold. We will go through both at your consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Veneer Procedure

How long does getting veneers take?

Usually two to three appointments across two to four weeks. The wait in the middle is the lab making your permanent veneers.

Does getting veneers hurt?

The preparation appointment is done with local anesthetic, so you should not feel the trimming itself. Some sensitivity to hot and cold for a few days afterward is normal while you wear temporaries.

Is enamel removal permanent?

Yes. Enamel does not regrow, so a tooth prepared for a veneer will need a veneer or crown on it from then on. It is worth being clear about that before starting.

How many teeth need veneers?

Whatever shows when you smile. Some people treat two teeth, others do six or eight across the front so the shade and shape stay consistent.

What do veneers cost?

Veneers generally run about $700 to $2,500 per tooth. Because they are cosmetic, insurance usually does not cover them, though we offer financing through Cherry, Sunbit and CareCredit as well as in-house options.

Book a Veneer Consultation

If you are weighing up whether veneers are right for you, the fastest way to find out is a consultation. See our veneers in Kirkland page for pricing and options, and once your veneers are fitted, our guide to caring for dental veneers covers keeping them looking their best.