What are Veneers?
A Veneer is a thin slice of porcelain that is made to precisely fit over your tooth, much like a false fingernail fits over a nail. Veneers are normally made of porcelain, although composite resin can also be used. Usually a very small amount of enamel is shaved off the tooth and then the new porcelain veneer is bonded on. Some techniques don't involve any removal of natural tooth material, but instead very thin specially made porcelain is added over the top of the tooth to change it's shape or size.
As each person is an individual, so is each tooth in your mouth. Each Veneer is hand-crafted by a skilled dental ceramicist to match the ideal shape and colour for your natural teeth.
When do you need Veneers?
Veneers are ideal for covering discoloured or unsightly teeth or closing gaps between your front teeth. They can also be used to repair chips and cracks.
What is involved?
If much preparation is required, your dentist will start by numbing your tooth. A small amount of enamel is then removed from your tooth, usually the same thickness as the new veneer will be. An impression is then taken using a rubber-like material. The impression (along with the shade and sometimes photographs of your other teeth) is sent to a dental ceramicist who will then hand-make the veneer.
Meanwhile, a temporary veneer is placed over the tooth to protect it until the permanent veneer is ready to be fitted.
Two or three weeks later, the new veneer arrives back from the ceramicist and is then “glued” in place. Minor adjustments may then be needed to finish the job.
How does teeth whitening affect veneers?
The colour of veneers are permanent, they won't yellow (or whiten) like the rest of your teeth. To make a veneer as natural-looking as possible, its colour is matched to the colour of the rest of your teeth at the time the veneer is fitted.
If you are considering whitening your teeth, then we recommend doing it BEFORE you fit a veneer, so that all your teeth (including the new veneer) are the colour you want them to be.