Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain Veneers San Jose, CA

Improve the appearance of your smile with dental veneers.

Porcelain veneers are ultra-thin shells of ceramic material bonded to the front of teeth. They require little or no anesthesia and can be the ideal choice for improving the appearance of the front teeth. They can mask discolorations, brighten teeth, and improve a smile. Highly resistant to permanent staining from coffee, tea, or even cigarette smoking, the wafer-thin porcelain veneers can achieve a tenacious bond to the tooth, resulting in an esthetically pleasing naturalness.

Porcelain Veneers FAQ

Porcelain veneers are an excellent alternative to crowns in many situations. They provide a much more conservative approach to changing a tooth’s color, size, or shape. Porcelain veneers can mask undesirable defects, such as teeth stained by tetracycline, by an injury, or as a result of a root-canal procedure, and are ideal for masking discolored fillings in front teeth. Patients with gaps between their front teeth or teeth that are chipped or worn may consider porcelain veneers.

Generally, veneers will last for many years, and the technique has shown remarkable longevity when properly performed.

Patients need three appointments for the entire procedure: diagnosis and treatment planning, preparation, and bonding.

Diagnosis and treatment planning

It’s critical that you take an active role in the smile design. Spend time in the decision-making and planning of the smile. Understand the corrective limitations of the procedure. Have more than one consultation, if necessary, to feel comfortable about your objectives.

Preparation of teeth

This appointment will take from one to two hours. The teeth are lightly buffed to allow for the small added thickness of the veneer. Usually, we remove about 0.5 to 1 millimeter of material. Then, we take a mold of your teeth and send it to the laboratory for the fabrication of the veneers. This can take about one to two weeks.

Bonding of veneers

This appointment will take about one to two hours. First, we place the veneers on the teeth to check their fit and get a sense of the shade or color. While the veneers are resting on your teeth, view the esthetic results, and pay particular attention to the color. At this point, we can still adjust the color of the veneers by using different color shades of cement. After the cementing process, the color cannot be altered. To apply the veneer, we prepared the tooth by cleaning it with specific chemicals to help achieve a bond. With the special cement in place between the veneer and tooth, a visible light beam initiates the release of a catalyst to harden the cement.

For about a week or two, you will go through a period of adjustment as you get used to your “new” teeth that have been changed in size and shape. Brush and floss daily. After one or two weeks, you’ll return for a follow-up appointment.

Porcelain veneers are reasonable facsimiles of natural teeth, not perfect replacements. It’s not uncommon to see slight variations in the color of porcelain veneers upon close inspection, as this occurs even in natural teeth. Nevertheless, this procedure can greatly enhance your smile, and can heighten inner satisfaction and self-esteem.