Porcelain Veneers In Toledo & Sylvania
At Our Dental Office in Sylvania
Porcelain veneers are ultra-thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front surface of teeth to improve your appearance. These shells are bonded to the front of the teeth, changing their color, shape, size, or length. Porcelain veneers are great at resisting stains and are able to mirror the light-reflecting properties of natural teeth. Veneers are an excellent improvement for imperfect teeth. They can correct teeth that are discolored, worn down, chipped or broken, misaligned, uneven, or crooked, and can even help close any spaces that you have in between them. In fact, porcelain veneers can even help improve a person’s bite.
Dental Health Associates will custom-make your porcelain veneers to easily accommodate any of your needs. Our veneers have a translucent finish that blends in with surrounding teeth so people will notice only your beautiful, natural looking smile! Our Toledo dentists are completely committed to high-quality crown, veneer, and bridge restorations. Dental Health Associates has an in-house dental lab staffed with four highly trained technicians who will provide a personal consultation. Our onsite dental ceramists ensure that your porcelain restorations are all perfectly matched to your individual smile. We’re ready to give you a smile that you deserve.
Veneer Benefits
- Mask stained teeth
- Hide chipped teeth
- Correct crooked teeth
- Close gap in teeth
- Create uniformity
Treatment Details
Prior to beginning the veneer placement process, a consultation is arranged to discuss the available options and determine the goals of treatment.
Traditional porcelain veneers are placed during a two-step process. The first step is to examine the affected teeth and take impressions of them, which will be used to design and create the customized veneers. The teeth receiving the veneers are prepared; a small bit of tooth structure is removed to make room for the veneers. While the permanent veneers are being fabricated, temporary veneers are placed over the prepared teeth and worn for a short period of time. Wearing temporary veneers is a good way to evaluate how the veneers look and feel and provide our dentists with feedback to incorporate into the permanent veneers. Based on this feedback, the permanent veneers can be adjusted as needed. Once the permanent restorations are ready, the temporary veneers are removed and the permanent restorations are bonded into place using a strong adhesive. Any last-minute tweaks are made for fit and comfort.
In addition to traditional porcelain veneers, Dental Health Associates also offers custom porcelain veneers with the same-day CEREC restoration system. CEREC allows our team to fit, craft and place beautiful, high-quality restorations in a single visit. This makes the entire process quick and convenient for our patients and our team. CEREC uses computer-assisted design/manufacturing software to plan out the veneers; this information is then used to calibrate the machine that builds the veneer out of a block of porcelain. Our CEREC patients love their results. See for yourself at our veneer before and after gallery!
Candidates for Porcelain Veneers
Most people with tooth imperfections can qualify for porcelain veneers. These thin shells are an excellent way to improve the appearance of a chipped, cracked, or misshapen tooth. You must have good oral health, though. Adults with gum disease, tooth decay, and other dental problems will need to address these issues before continuing with cosmetic dentistry. Periodontal treatment, tooth-colored fillings, and other restorations can provide a healthy mouth and allow you to move forward with porcelain veneers.
Porcelain veneers are best for minor cosmetic concerns, including tooth stains that don’t respond to teeth whitening treatment and slightly crooked teeth that do not require orthodontic work.
Porcelain veneers adhere to the front of a tooth and require some enamel reduction to accommodate the thin covering. Patients need sufficient enamel to hold the shell in place with a strong bond.
How to Care for Your Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are easy to care for because they only require basic oral hygiene. You will need to brush your teeth two times a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush to avoid damaging the porcelain shell. Floss once daily and use an antibacterial mouthwash to flush out food debris between your teeth. Schedule a dental exam and cleaning every six months to maintain your veneers and healthy smile.
There are some considerations to keep in mind when cleaning and maintaining your porcelain veneers, including:
- Abrasive toothpaste can damage the veneer. Our dentists can help you find a toothpaste that cleans teeth without damaging the porcelain material.
- Gum disease prevention is an essential part of maintaining your porcelain veneers because gum recession can cause the edges of the shells to be visible and affect the appearance of your smile.
- Clenching or grinding your teeth can chip porcelain veneers, but a custom nightguard can help you stop this habit.
- Porcelain veneers are stain resistant, but your surrounding teeth can still yellow or darken without proper care. Limit foods and beverages that may cause tooth discoloration, such as coffee, tea, and red wine.
- Don’t smoke or use tobacco products because it affects your oral health and causes tooth discoloration.
Recovery After Porcelain Veneers
It may take two weeks for your mouth to adjust to porcelain veneers. You can expect some tooth sensitivity because of the enamel removed to place the veneers. Toothpaste for sensitive teeth and avoiding hot and cold foods and beverages can ease discomfort after porcelain veneers. Gum and tooth soreness typically goes away after two to three weeks. Your bite may feel different and affect your speech temporarily but will adjust and accommodate the porcelain veneers.
Dental Insurance and Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are a cosmetic dentistry procedure used to improve aesthetic concerns with your teeth and smile. Dental insurance does not cover elective or cosmetic dental procedures. However, Dental Health Associates offers in-house savings plans for monthly payments that fit your budget so you can improve your smile with porcelain veneers without breaking the bank.
Porcelain Veneers Vs. Dental Crowns
Porcelain veneers are best for repairing dental imperfections, such as large chips, cracks, and deep discoloration. They can improve your smile when you have good oral health with no signs of gum disease or tooth decay. Dental crowns provide restorative and cosmetic benefits. These porcelain caps repair broken or weak teeth from tooth decay, injury, or an old restoration. Dental crowns are used when tooth damage affects the internal tooth structure and can’t be addressed with dental bonding or a porcelain veneer.
Porcelain Veneers FAQs
How long do porcelain veneers last?
Most porcelain veneers last 10 to 20 years. They are a lifelong commitment since the teeth are permanently altered when the enamel is filed down on the front of the teeth to make room for the veneer. Since they must be replaced when they break or wear down, you have additional incentive to take good care of them to prolong their lifespan as long as possible. For a less permanent cosmetic option, you may want to discuss dental bonding with your dentist.
Do porcelain veneers address or prevent oral health problems?
Veneers are a strictly cosmetic treatment. If you have a cavity, putting a veneer on front of your tooth will do nothing to stop the tooth from decaying further. Our dentists will ensure that any outstanding dental issues are addressed before adding a veneer. Because veneers do nothing to prevent cavities from developing, it remains important to brush and floss your teeth to stop bacteria from causing damage.
How many veneers do I need to get?
The number of veneers you decide to receive depends on your cosmetic goals. Many patients choose to put veneers on an entire row of teeth to provide their smile with a complete makeover. Other patients may choose to use one veneer to cover a single problem tooth. When you decide not to do a full row of teeth, the key is to choose veneers that match your natural teeth in color, size, and shape so they do not stick out from your other teeth. Your dentist will help with this effort to achieve great results.
See if you are a good candidate for veneers by scheduling a consultation with our Dental Health Associates Sylvania office by calling today!