Downtown Dental Excellence offers Porcelain Veneers in Cleveland, TX

You may find that you get in an accident, and a tooth is damaged to the point where an entirely new dental crown needs to be placed. Other times, you may only end up chipping a tooth, which requires dental bonding. Then there are times that your tooth is injured beyond the level of repair that a bonding can provide, but not quite bad enough for a dental crown or an extraction to be necessary. For these repairs, veneers may be the best option.

Choose Downtown Dental Excellence for Porcelain Veneers today. 

Beautiful Healthy Smile

What are Veneers?

A dental veneer is a dental appliance that is placed on top of a damaged tooth, and bonded to the surfaces of that tooth. This allows the patient to save a good portion of their healthy tooth, while still enjoying the protection of a replacement.

Why Choose Porcelain Veneers?

While there are different types of veneers, many people opt for porcelain for a variety of reasons. One of the main reasons that many patients ask for porcelain veneers is their appearance. Porcelain resembles the natural look of teeth, and the friends and family members of patients with porcelain veneers often won’t even notice their placement. Porcelain veneers are also very durable—allowing them to last as long as 25 years!

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Veneers Help Resolve Issues

Dental veneers are strong enough to repair damage to the tooth that is beyond cosmetic, although they can blend in well with surrounding teeth. Some of the different issues that veneers help to resolve are:

  • Broken Teeth
  • Cracked Teeth
  • Tooth Crowding
  • Crooked Teeth
  • Spacing Issues
  • Discolored Teeth

While some of these issues may seem cosmetic, in reality they can lead to a host of different oral health problems. A severely cracked tooth, for instance, may lead to tooth decay and even infection. If a tooth is damaged, it needs to be repaired as soon as possible, to avoid further damage to the tooth and further issues with oral health. Veneers are an option for damage that is substantial, without being severe enough to warrant extraction, or the placement of a dental crown.

Veneers vs Bonding

People often will confuse veneers with dental bonding, but they are actually two very different procedures—although they help to fix similar issues.

Dental bonding is a procedure that involves a resin piece being bonded with a tooth. This is done in order to fix many of the same issues that veneers resolve, like cracks and chips in teeth. Dental bonding resin is not as durable as the material used to procedure dental veneers, though. Because of this, for more extensive damage, veneers may be needed.

Other Types of Veneers

While porcelain veneers are preferred by many patients, they aren’t the only option. Some other veneer options include:

Minimal-Prep Veneers

A minimal-prep veneer only requires a small amount of a tooth to be prepared for the placement of the veneer. This means most of the natural tooth structure is left intact.

Prepless Veneers

A prepless veneer requires no preparation at all. This means a tooth is not reduced to place the veneer. Because of how thin they are, though, they are not an option for all patients.

Composite Veneers

Composite veneers require very little preparation, and are a more affordable option for those that can’t afford porcelain. It is important to note that the composite material used is not as strong as porcelain, which means the veneer may need to be replaced every five to eight years or so. Because of this, porcelain veneers may end up being less expensive in the long run.

Veneers or Crowns

Whether a veneer or a dental crown is chosen often depends on the amount of damage that the tooth has sustained. While a veneer can cover part of the tooth, a crown will be needed if the entire crown of the tooth needs to be replaced. This may be due to tooth decay, or damage that is sustained to the tooth. Whatever the reason may be, if it’s too substantial, a crown will be required.

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The Process

The placement of a veneer is a three step process. The first step is a consultation, in which the patient will speak with their dentist about the issues that they are having. The dentist will then examine the patient’s teeth to see the extent of the damage. From here, the decision can be made as to whether dental bonding, a dental crown, a veneer or even extraction is the best option. If the decision is made to repair the tooth with a veneer, the different veneer options will be discussed. This will include prepless, minimal prep, composite and porcelain veneers. If the damage is more substantial, a porcelain veneer may be suggested.

Once the type of veneer has been selected, the dentist will move on to the next step—which is preparing the tooth. This process involves a removal of part of the enamel. How much of the tooth is removed depends on the type of veneer that is being placed, as well as the extent of the damage to the tooth. This process is painless, but anesthesia may be used if the patient is nervous or uncomfortable.

Next, your dentist will make an impression of the tooth that will be used to create your veneer. Your dentist will also help with selecting the perfect shade for your veneer, so that it blends with the natural tooth and the surrounding teeth.

The final step is having the veneer placed. Your dentist will first check to make sure that the veneer fits properly. They will also check the shade of the veneer, to make sure it matches well with the surrounding teeth. Once the veneer is approved, your dentist will clean and polish your teeth. They will also etch the surface of the tooth that the veneer is being placed on to help the veneer adhere properly. They will then use a bonding cement to place the veneer.

Once the process is complete, you’ll have an amazing looking veneer that matches your surrounding teeth.