Porcelain veneers

These are permanent prosthetic restorations whose purpose is to cover the labial (facial) surface of the teeth. They are made of an extremely thin layer of porcelain, and can correct the shape, color or to some extent the position of the tooth that is visible in the smile. They can significantly improve the aesthetics of the dental arches, without excessive interference in the natural tooth tissues - veneers are placed on minimally prepared teeth or in certain cases even without prior preparation.

Due to the aesthetic nature of this type of restoration, the main indications for their use are:

• correction of the shape of the anterior teeth,
• to cover discolorations that are impossible to remove by other methods or to change the color of the whole area of the teeth,
• closing gaps between teeth (diastema and spaces)
• straightening teeth in the dental arch in cases of minor improper positioning

In some cases, it is impossible to make a veneer, in particular if:

• the teeth are too short
• in teeth with numerous carious lesions

In such situations, the doctor may suggest a different form of reconstruction, eg. with a prosthetic crown.

Veneers are fixed permanently on the patient's teeth using the adhesive cementation protocol. This is a procedure involving the chemical and mechanical preparation of both tooth enamel and the restoration itself, so as to maximize the strength of the connection between them. Next, cement is applied, which acts as a connector between the enamel and the veneer. As a result of the reaction initiated by UV light, the cement binds, hardens and finally fixes the veneer to the tooth. The whole procedure is carried out with absolute moisture control, because adhesive cements require dryness of the treatment area.

Often patients are afraid that the veneer will “fall out” or get damaged. Of course, this is a complication that may occur, however, recent reports in scientific literature show that a tooth covered with a veneer together with adhesive cement is an extremely durable system that strengthens each of its components. Therefore, such a restoration can even be seen as strengthening the tooth itself, which becomes significantly less susceptible to damage, and the whole structure can successfully function for many years.

Veneers step by step:

1. The planning of veneers must be done in close cooperation between the doctor and the patient. It is very important to understand the purpose of the treatment, the expectations of the patient and the doctor’s possibilities to meet them. For this reason, the patient's smile is thoroughly discussed, often with an assessment with photographs. Together, a vision of the future appearance of the patient is prepared, with the choice of the shape and color of the teeth, so as to obtain satisfactory harmony of the whole face.
2. Tooth preparation for veneers, as mentioned before, takes place minimally invasively - only the superficial enamel layer is removed. The choice of color is carried out precisely according to the plan established at the beginning of treatment. An impression of both dental arches is obtained, which is information needed for the technician to produce the restoration. The visit ends with preparing and cementing temporary teeth-shaped veneers that resemble the teeth before their preparation.
3. In order to obtain the exact effect that the patient expects, often a so-called mock-up is prepared. It is a temporary, modifiable restoration, which is temporarily placed on the patient's teeth, so that he or she can see how it feels - how the patient responds to the new shape of teeth and a smile, what the family and friends think about them. At this stage, corrections are very simple, and can we obtain the shape of the future veneers.
4. Cementing the finished restorations is the culmination of treatment. This is a very precise procedure, however, for the patient, the process is very comfortable. After placing the veneers, the patient can enjoy a new dream smile immediately after leaving the office.