Veneers are routinely used to cover teeth which are discolored, worn, chipped, or misaligned. Veneers are used for many of the same reasons as bonding but they involve a different procedure.
Veneers are thin shells of porcelain or resin that measure as thin as 0.3 mm, the thickness of a contact lense. First, using custom models of your teeth, a wax up of the proposed restorations will be made outside of your mouth. This can then be tried in the mouth to ensure you are happy with the proposed end result before treatment begins. On approval, Dr. Burnham will prepare your tooth, take an impression of the prepared tooth, possibly place a temporary filling in the space, and send the impression to a dental laboratory to have the veneers manufactured according to the preapproved wax up.
Several weeks later, the veneer is returned, fit and esthetics verified, then cemented into place. Although veneers are more expensive and time-consuming than bonding, they conserve tooth structure when compared to crowns.
Typically veneers are difficult to stain, making veneers a very popular solution for many people seeking that perfect smile. Strong and very durable, veneers can last from ten to fifteen years, and come in colors that will brighten dark teeth without the worry of them changing color.
