Dental veneer treatment can be an option for anterior teeth when professional or over-the-counter whitening systems are not effective; when your teeth are showing wear due to bruxing (the habitual grinding and clenching of your teeth); when one or more of your anterior teeth have been chipped, cracked, or broken due to trauma or wear; or if the flat surfaces of your front teeth are mottled, have craze lines, or are pitted. There are other dental treatments that can fix all of the aforementioned, so why choose veneers? Veneers are a minimally invasive, long-lasting, and esthetically pleasing treatment.
Minimally Invasive
If you’re wondering what a minimally invasive treatment is, medical and/or diagnostic techniques are considered non-invasive when there is no incision, puncturing of the skin, or foreign objects inserted into the skin or body in any way. Modern medical technology has made many formerly invasive, or open surgeries, minimally -or non-invasive today. When it comes to dentistry, rather than your skin being “invaded,” your tooth, gum tissue, or oral tissue would be. For instance, dental implants are an invasive dental procedure because they require a foreign object (a titanium implant post) to be inserted into your jaw bone. Minimally invasive means that a minor amount of tooth enamel is removed.
The Procedure
In order to accommodate the thickness of a dental veneer, which consists of an ultra thin shell of porcelain that is bonded to the front of your tooth, a minimal amount of tooth enamel – .5 to .7 millimeters – is shaved off during preparation. Once the teeth are prepared, impressions are made and sent to the dental lab where the veneers will be fabricated. In the mean time, temporary veneers are placed.
The Placement
When the permanent veneers have been fabricated, the temporary veneers will be removed and the permanent veneers will be evaluated for shape, size, color, fit, and comfort. If all is well, the veneers will be permanently bonded and the patient will have a new, long-lasting, and aesthetically pleasing smile.
