Cosmetic Dental Veneers
Dental veneers, also known as laminates, ceramic facets or ceramic/porcelain veneers, are very thin pieces of materials that resemble the outer surface of your teeth. At Berkeley Lake Dental, our dental veneers are custom made from high quality materials to fit your specific condition, making them not only strong and very durable but also natural looking ensuring best possible esthetic and functional results.
One of the most commonly asked question is whether you are a suitable candidate for dental veneers. This type of dental restoration is used as a conservative option for dental crowns and is applicable to various situations that require esthetic attention such as:
- Severely stained or discolored teeth
- Unevenly spaced between teeth
- Teeth are chipped or crooked
- Holes and damage, especially at the central teeth
If you suffer any of the conditions listed above, but no signs of extensive decay, gum disease or severe teeth misalignment is present, then dental veneers are the best solution for you.
Dental veneers can be made from different types of materials, such as resin composite, porcelain ceramic, and zirconia. Although they are all effective, their usage is greatly varied depending on your objectives.
- Resin composite veneers (direct) are often done in a single visit. The procedure involves a simple bonding of resin composite directly onto your tooth’s surface.
- Porcelain ceramic (indirect) generally is longer lasting as it doesn’t discolor. This type usually requires two visits, more time and expertise. Ceramic offers the most cosmetically nature looking than resin composite or zirconia. However, it is more brittle than zirconia.
- Zirconia is the newest material. Like porcelain ceramic, it requires two visits, more times and expertise, doesn’t discolor, and indirectly bonds onto tooth’s surface. The differences between zirconia and ceramic are: zirconia is much stronger while their esthetic is inferior than that of ceramic due to different light absorption and reflection.
The term “bonding” often comes up which means the process of using chemical adhesive to bond the resin composite directly or to bond the ceramic/zirconia veneers indirectly onto the front side of the tooth.
