What are veneers?

Veneers are prosthetic restorations that provide us a perfect smile. Even though they are very popular, there are still many questions about how they are made, what are the achievements and what results can be expected.

What is the difference between resin composite and ceramic veneers?

Veneers can be made out of resin composite or ceramic material. The dentist, during the review, evaluates the best choice for the patient.
Composite veneers, essentially, are veneers made of white filling material. Although, they look very nice, a certain flaws exists and that is in their durability.
In time, resin veneers can crack or can be discolored by pigments from food or drinks.
They are a great choice for minimal corrections because if cracked or discolored, can be polished to look new, or in the worst case, can be replaced.

When we talk about aesthetic changes of smile, first we think about ceramic veneers. They represent the most precise and the most complicated branch of prosthetic dentistry. Ceramic veneers provide us options that we can not get with any other type of work, all with minimal tooth preparation. We can close the space between teeth (diastema), change color, shape, size and solve the problem of the worn down teeth or enamel erosions.

What is the procedure for getting a dental veneer?

When patients come to our clinic, in agreement with the dentist, a therapy plan is made. If the patient agrees with our proposals, the impression of the upper and lower jaw is taken. Afterwards, the technician makes the wax up. Simply put, that is our proposal for patient’s new smile and veneers.

Since it is difficult for patients to visualize how the final result will look like, there is mock up to translate our ideas into the patient’s mouth. This way the patients can see themselves with the new veneers and also suggest any changes they might want to make. Afterwards it starts with tooth preparations and taking the final impressions. Often, people are afraid that a lot of dental tissue will be removed and that is one of the obstacles when deciding to have ceramic veneers.

Thanks to Cad-Cam and optical devices such as loupes and microscopes used in our daily practice, the precision and maximum preservation of hard dental tissue is ensured. Tooth preparations depend on the position of the tooth and sometimes when the teeth are indrawn, we do not have to grind almost anything, because we put the veneer on the tooth surface and therefore achieve a harmonious smile.

The normal preparation thickness for the veneer is 0.3 mm and only in larger color corrections 0.6 mm. In the exceptional situations, tooth grinding is not necessary.

After the veneers are finished and the patient is satisfied, the cementation starts. This leads us to another question we get from our patients, which is endurance of such work. Thanks to today’s cements these restorations does not have to be changed and remain in patient’s mouth much longer then any other dental restoration.

Are veneers made from glass ceramics or feldspathic ceramics?

In our dental office we are working with all types of ceramic materials. Most often the veneers are made from glass ceramics, but can also be made from feldspathic ceramics. Glass ceramic veneers are made either in full thickness, using a Cad Cam machine or the base is made by ceramic press technology, so the restoration itself ends with a layering technique in a dental laboratory.

Veneers made from feldspathic ceramics are the most accurate and most valuable work in dental prosthetics. They are completely handmade by a dental technician, achieving perfect esthetics, and are adapted to each patient individually. They are so precise, that if we look at the restoration during the try-in phase, and it doesn’t meet all the esthetic requirements, technician makes new ones. They perfectly mimic the appearance of the tooth so that we can achieve excellent esthetic results.

The prices of veneers vary depending on the material, dental laboratory and the technician who makes them.

Contact us. We will exceed your expectations!