Porcelain Veneers

Cosmetic Dentistry - Porcelain Veneers FAQ

Ronald Konig, DDS - Houston, Texas
713-668-2289 - E-mail

Q: What are porcelain veneers?

A: Porcelain veneers are also known as:

• Porcelain laminates
• Porcelain laminate veneers
• Veneers

Veneers consist of porcelain shells that provide a fresh facade for a tooth. They are thinly formed pieces of porcelain shaped like a tooth, which a cosmetic dentist affixes to the front of the teeth. In cosmetic dentistry industry, they are considered the foremost standard of care.

They are permanently attached to the front surface of a tooth, in order to restore or improve:

• Color
• Form
• Location

Veneers can immediately provide an impressive, positive transformation of your smile and overall facial look. They are highly effective for fixing common problems, such as teeth that are:

• Chipped
• Crooked
• Discolored
• Improperly positioned (such as midline spaces known as gapped teeth)
• Malformed
• Missing
• Pitted

Previously available only to the wealthy, such as top Hollywood celebrities and models, veneers are now accessible to anyone who wants the smile of their dreams.

Q: Is there a difference between the porcelain veneers you can get from one cosmetic dentist to another?

A: Because porcelain veneers are custom made, no two sets of veneers will be the same. The highest-quality cosmetic dentistry is a combination of art as well as science that creates aesthetically pleasing results. Dr. Konig has extensive schooling in the art of smile design, including training from the prestigious Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, also known as LVI. Smile design takes into consideration several features, which are specified when Dr. Konig works with his ceramist:

• Color
• Angle
• Line
• Shape
• Thickness
• Translucency
• Occlusion (bite)

Based on these specifications, our laboratory custom-creates the veneers to Dr. Konig's design specifications. The veneers are custom-made to fit your:

• Face
• Gender
• Personality
• Smile

When they are properly prepared, custom-made veneers look and feel like your real teeth. You are welcome to be as much a part of the veneer selection process as you wish, but remember that the reason you select cosmetic dentist specialists is for their knowledge and artistry in creating a great-looking smile. Computer imaging along with our Smile Gallery of other patients will help you decide on the color, shape and style that work best for you.

Veneers are bonded into place using a highly concentrated light which cures the bonding material. The end result is precise veneer placement, which gives you the fantastic-looking smile you have always wanted.

Q: How are veneers created?

A: Veneers are permanently bonded to the teeth using a thin shell of porcelain. The ceramists in the laboratory create the veneers not only from impressions of your teeth, but also from color-mapping specifications. Every veneer is custom-designed to fit comfortably and naturally like a glove. Custom-designed porcelain veneers can make a remarkable improvement to your appearance, and still look completely natural.

Q: What problems can veneers correct?

A: Veneers can be used to correct:

• Alignment
• Color
• Shape
• Size
• Chips
• Cracks
• Crookedness
• Fractures
• Malformation
• Stains, including:
  • Smoking stains
  • Tetracycline stains

Many people want straighter teeth but don't want to go through the hassle, pain, and time of getting orthodontic braces. Today, teeth can be straightened using porcelain veneers and crowns, instead of braces. Because veneers are stain repellent, most people can achieve the degree of whiteness, length, and shape they want without worrying about future staining.

The shape of veneers combined with occlusal adjustments (adjustment to the bite) can have a profound result on the entire look and feel of the face, not just the smile. This can effectively give the appearance of a facelift or wrinkle treatment without having any plastic surgery. While generating your custom-made, unique smile, Dr. Konig also takes into account how to attain such a complete new look. A number of our patients actually look 10 years younger after Dr. Konig creates their new smiles. Just imagine how rejuvenated you can look and feel!

Q: What's the difference between bonding or plastic veneers, and porcelain veneers?

A: Composite bonding (also called direct veneers or plastic veneers) refers to a plastic tooth-colored resin material. Such bonding can usually be finished in one visit and is often used to repair a smaller chip in a tooth or to make visual enhancements to several teeth. Bonding doesn't usually require anesthesia or much tooth reduction.

Porcelain veneers, however, are created from porcelain in a lab, so they offer a larger capability for:

• Range of colors
• Realism
• Translucency

In other words, they more closely resemble the look and feel of your natural teeth than their plastic counterparts. Porcelain veneers also offer a more enduring solution than bonding, because veneers don't discolor or stain, and they are more durable than bonding. Veneers typically only require two office visits-the initial visit to get the teeth ready, and the follow-up visit to place the veneers.

Q: How quickly can veneers give me a beautiful smile?

A: Patients can typically get the gorgeous smile they have been dreaming about in only a couple of appointments. During the first visit, three things will happen:

1. Your teeth will be prepared for veneers
2. You will have impressions taken of your teeth
3. You will be fitted with temporary custom veneers

During the second visit, your veneers will be permanently bonded to your teeth. Imagine getting your beautiful new smile in only a month-a custom-made smile that not only fits your face and personality, but also provides you with the self-assurance to express who you really are!

Q: Can veneers help fix my crooked teeth more quickly than orthodontic braces?

A: Porcelain veneers are an ideal substitute to braces in many cases. In fact, they are often referred to as "instant orthodontics." Veneers can adjust the shape of teeth which aren't aligned correctly, or have gaps and spaces, similar to braces. Adult patients who have always wished for straighter teeth, but had no inclination to endure years of treatment with braces, typically love this alternative treatment. Instead of years in braces, crooked teeth can be fixed in a few visits using veneers! Even if you have had braces in the past, veneers may be the perfect solution if you aren't completely satisfied with your orthodontic results. Please look at our Smile Gallery for remarkable illustrations of what "instant orthodontics" can do for you.

Q: How are teeth prepared for veneers?

A: A thin layer of enamel is removed from the teeth, creating room to bond the veneers onto the teeth without them seeming unnaturally thick. Typically around .3 to .5 millimeters of enamel is removed from the surface of the teeth, in contrast to crown treatment, in which much more tooth surface is removed. The amount of enamel removed depends on each person and even each individual tooth. Veneers are a conservative treatment.

Q: How are veneers attached to teeth?

A: Advances in technology have made the bonding agents used to attach veneers to teeth stronger than ever. The process is as follows:

1. After the teeth have been readied by reducing the amount of enamel on them, they are then prepared with a bonding agent which sticks to the teeth using a special resin cement as an adhesive. This resin cement comes in many different colors to match your tooth color as closely as possible.
2. The resin cement is cured using a special dental curing light, which permanently bonds the veneers to the teeth, creating a long-lasting, sturdy bond between your teeth and the veneers.

The appearance, ease of application, and durability of veneers make it simple to understand why this cosmetic dental treatment has become one of the most popular and accepted available today.

Q: How many porcelain veneers are needed to improve my smile?

A: The answer to this depends on the look you are trying to achieve. If you only want to fix a single tooth which is discolored or malformed, then one veneer may achieve your desired results. However, to achieve balanced or a color change, symmetrical results, Dr. Konig may recommend several veneers (anywhere from 4 to 8 or even more). If you have large gaps that need closing, 6 to 10 veneers may be necessary. He treats each case individually based on the needs and desires of the patient.

Q: How long will veneers typically last?

A: There are no firm rules of thumb about how long veneers typically last. You can certainly expect your veneers to last many years, especially since they are currently made of stronger material (porcelain instead of plastic) and use more advanced bonding agents than in the past. Although it is idealistic to think they will last forever, you can extend their life by treating them with excellent care and taking care of your oral health. If you take these precautions your veneers will likely last over 10 to 15 years. Some people with veneers have even had them for 20 years or more!

Q: Will my teeth be sensitive following veneer placement?

A: Some people do have teeth which are sensitive to cold or hot temperature food, or pressure. This is perfectly normal and tends disperse on its own after a few days or, at most, a few weeks. This happens because of the amount of enamel remaining on the tooth, the closeness of the nerve, or many other reasons. If you continue to experience sensitivity problems, contact us and we will work with you to resolve the issue.

Q: Should I change my diet following veneer placement?

A: You should be able to eat a normal diet after getting your veneers. The porcelain and the bonding agent are both extremely strong, especially for biting straight down. If you are eating anything that might bend or twist the veneers, you should excecise some caution. Just like with natural teeth which don't have veneers, you should avoid doing things like chewing ice or using your teeth as a tool. In general, they are maintenance free.

Q: How should I care for my new veneers?

A: First, you will come into our office for a follow-up visit to ensure that your veneers are seated properly and to allow Dr. Konig to artistically fine tune or recontour your veneers for your individual look and smile.. Also, if you have a tendency to clench or grind your teeth, especially at night, we can create a custom-made soft night guard which will minimize the pressure clenching or grinding can put on your teeth and veneers. Additionally,, we can answer any other questions you may have about your newly created smile.

Veneers require the same basic care as natural teeth. You should brush daily with a nonabrasive toothpaste, as well as floss daily. You should also continue to visit your dentist regularly. With proper home care, your veneers should provide you with a beautiful smile for years to come.

Q: When might I not be a candidate for veneers?

A: There are four instances in which you would not be a good candidate for veneers.

1. Your teeth are unhealthy. Veneers need healthy teeth in order to be successful. If you have tooth decay or gum disease, you must first get these conditions treated before you can get veneers Especially if you want them to last a long time.
2. Your teeth are weak. If your teeth are weakened due to decay, poor health, fractures, or you already have a filling, you may not be a candidate for veneers.
3. Your teeth don't have an adequate amount of structure. Some teeth may have less structure due to extreme wear or earlier dental work. People who have teeth which have lost a great deal of structure are usually better candidates for crowns rather than veneers. However, Dr. Konig utilizes crowns that can look beautiful as well and will not have black lines at the gums.
4. You excessively clench or grind your teeth. If this applies to you and your teeth are worn and broken, you may have a bite problem which is causing you to ruin your teeth. In this case, an evaluation of your bite and neuromuscular situation is indicated as you can ruin your natural teeth if not treated. After your bite situation is resolved, there are many treatment modalities that can allow you to have that beautiful smile and ensure that it can last a long time.