Veneer

A veneer is a thin wafer of porcelain – about the thickness of a fingernail - that is bonded to your teeth to change their colour, spacing, alignment, length or shape and give you a whiter, brighter, healthier smile.

Porcelain is unbeatable in achieving the look you want. It has the colour, translucency and surface texture of real tooth enamel. It's hard wearing; long lasting and it won't discolour, even after many years.

Veneer

1. Preparation

To prepare your teeth, we will remove 0.3 to 0.5 millimetres of the front surface – this is about the thickness of a fingernail. The dentist then takes an impression of your teeth so that a laboratory technician can create your veneers.

After the first appointment, your teeth will feel unusually rough but in most cases they will appear normal at conversational distance. At this stage your teeth can also be more prone to stains so it's important to keep them clean by brushing regularly. You may, also, find that your teeth are more sensitive but a special coating can minimize this.

It's critical to keep your gums healthy at this time because any bleeding during the bonding of the veneers can contaminate and weaken the bond.

2. Fitting

This second appointment is a try-in where we check the fit and appearance of the porcelain. If it doesn't meet your expectations, we can arrange further try-ins until you achieve the look you want.

To avoid any additional expense, it's crucial to make sure that the veneers give you exactly the smile you want. Once they are bonded to your teeth any changes, apart from shortening and minor trimming, involve extra work and additional charges.

3. Bonding

Once you're happy with your veneers, they are bonded to your teeth. This involves an elaborate series of steps to permanently fix the veneers to each individual tooth. The result is a durable, beautiful restoration and a winning smile.

How do I look after my veneers?

Porcelain is at least as heard wearing as tooth enamel so, if you take proper care of your veneers, they should last for up to twenty years.

Porcelain is immune to decay but the uncovered part of your teeth is not. So, it's important to take good care of your teeth by brushing and flossing after eating – but avoid highly abrasive toothpastes, as these can scratch and damage your veneers.

Patients often notice that the health of their gums improves. This can be because their teeth have a more uniform and regular shape or, in some cases, it's simply because the patient is so delighted with their new look that they take better care of their teeth and gums.

Regular visits to the hygienist are even more important to make sure your veneers last as long as possible so we recommend that you visit an experienced hygienist up to four times a year.

If your gums become sore, if you notice any bleeding around any of your veneers or if floss begins to snag on a particular area, please make an appointment to have your veneers cleaned and checked immediately.

The resin used to bond the porcelain to your teeth is very strong but it can be stain over time. Alcoholic drinks can soften the resin and accelerate the staining process. Porcelain veneers are not designed to withstand sharp impacts and, like your natural teeth, they can chip or break so don't bite fingernails, bottles or other hard objects and wear a mouth protector if you play contact sports.

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