Porcelain laminate veneers (also referred to as dental laminates) are thin protective coatings of “porcelain” that are layered onto the front side of your teeth.

Question 1

What Are Porcelain Laminate Veneers Used For?

Answer

The main purpose of treating with porcelain laminate veneers is to improve the appearance of your teeth. Some of the primary indications for laminate veneers include discolored teeth, worn/disfigured/broken teeth, poor tooth alignment, or misaligned teeth. Porcelain laminate veneers are usually selected by patient choice.

Question 2

How Do Porcelain Laminate Veneers Work?

Answer

Porcelain laminate veneers attach to your teeth through a special process of tooth bonding, through which a dental composite tooth enamel bond is created, which is a strong dental bond. This process adheres the porcelain veneer to the tooth enamel with a resilient and long-lasting result.

Question 3

Will A Porcelain Laminate Veneer Break?

Answer

Porcelain laminate veneers can withstand all of the wear and tear you inflict on them. Porcelain is in fact brittle. When porcelain has been firmly bonded to your teeth and receives reinforcement from the tooth structure, it creates a very strong and durable surface. This is much like trying to bend a piece of paper lying on flat concrete by hitting it with a baseball. The concrete prevents the paper from bending.

Question 4

Porcelain Laminate Veneers Vs. Dental Crowns

Answer

Porcelain laminate veneers and dental crowns both provide cosmetic restoration, however a dental crown completely covers your tooth and involves significantly more tooth removal to place the dental crown. Porcelain laminate veneers only cover the front of your teeth for visual aesthetic purposes and require significantly less tooth removal, and no tooth removal in some cases.

Question 5

Benefits Of Porcelain Laminate Veneers

Answer

Porcelain laminate veneers are probably the most aesthetic means of creating a more pleasing and beautiful smile. They require a minimal amount of tooth reduction (approximately .5 mm) and are, therefore, a more conservative restoration than a crown. Porcelain veneers allow us to alter tooth position, shape, size, and color. They are not the only alternative for all aesthetic abnormalities, but are truly a remarkable restoration when they are the dental treatment service of choice.

Restoring A Natural, Attractive Look

Because porcelain laminate veneers resemble the natural reflective properties of teeth, a porcelain laminate that is designed to resemble human tooth texture can look natural and amazing.

Resisting Stains

Since porcelain laminate veneers resist staining and discoloration better than other dental restorations, porcelain laminate veneers are often preferred, especially by smokers, wine and coffee drinkers, and people prone to stained teeth. Dental bonds are prone to more discoloration over time.

Repairing Minor Dental Defects Or Imperfections

If your teeth are slightly worn, have minor chips/d/dimples/pits, or they have fairly insignificant abnormalities (pegged lateral incisors), porcelain laminate veneers may be a good option for your dental restoration. Porcelain laminate veneers are an excellent dental option if the front side of your teeth is sufficiently imperfect or damaged to warrant this dental restoration process.

Restoring Stained Fillings

Dental composite fillings that start out white may change color through time. The ceramic surface of porcelain laminate veneers usually provide significant resilience, leading to long lasting and visually pleasing results.

Correcting Your Tooth Color

Porcelain laminate veneers can lighten the color of your teeth. There are many chemical causes of tooth discoloration, including:

Antibiotics
Other medications
Fluoride staining
Coffee
Wine
Dark sodas, colas
Dead root
Direct trauma to the tooth
Root canals

Fixing Gaps Between Your Teeth

Porcelain laminate veneers can be used to close gaps between your teeth. They are ideally suited for this purpose; however, dental bonding is usually the less expensive and less invasive method for smaller spaces between teeth.

Fixing Minor Tooth Misalignment

In cases where misalignment is not too severe, porcelain laminate veneers may be a good dental restoration option to restore a natural and appealing smile. Porcelain laminate veneers may not be a good option for severely crooked teeth since excessive trimming may be required.

Question 6

Dental Bonding Vs. Porcelain Laminate Veneers

Answer

Dental bonding is only semi-translucent, which means that light striking it is mostly reflected from the front surface (there’s much less light penetration). Dental bonds are applied as a tooth-colored resin, which is much like a durable plastic material, and are cured using a special blue light. Although dental bonding can achieve great results, it looks a little different from porcelain laminate veneers.

Question 7

Applications & Uses Of Porcelain Laminate Veneers

Answer

Porcelain laminate veneers can be used to correct the appearance of your teeth that have been chipped, worn, discolored, or even misaligned. Laminate veneers are usually a great option under normal and typical circumstances. When the circumstances are less typical or unusual, various other methods of dental restoration may be required.

Question 8

Porcelain Laminate Veneers After Orthodontics

Answer

In some cases, you may find porcelain laminate veneers a good option after orthodontic procedures. Where orthodontics can correct the main issues and get your smile most of the way to your goals, Porcelain laminate veneers may be a less expensive and simpler dental restoration option to finish the job and achieve that perfect smile.

Question 9

Other Treatment Options

Answer

Porcelain laminate veneers are a poor option to treat very dark or discolored teeth. This extent of tooth discoloration requires significantly more trimming and tooth removal to accommodate more laminate material. The laminate media may have to be much lighter and/or less translucent, which may look less natural. Tooth whitening may be required for some patients before starting the porcelain laminate veneer dental restoration process, which may require multiple visits. In some cases, dental bonds, crowns, or other dental restoration processes may be a better option.

Question 10

Take The First Step To A Better Smile

Answer

If you are interested in porcelain laminate veneers in Utah, contact our team today to schedule a consultation to discuss your dental goals and discover the best plan for improving your smile.

Question 11

When Veneers Shouldn’t Be Used

Answer

There can be situations where certain teeth, or even certain people, are not good candidates for this procedure. Some reasons to avoid porcelain laminate veneers include the following:

Does Not Provide Tooth Strengthening

Since porcelain is brittle and relies on the strength of the tooth behind it to provide long lasting service, they are not appropriate for teeth that have lost a significant amount of structure due to wear, decay or fracture, or teeth with large fillings. Porcelain laminate veneers simply improve the appearance of your smile. In this type of situation, dental crown placement makes the more appropriate choice.

Requires Sufficient Tooth Enamel

Porcelain laminate veneers bond to your tooth enamel and are not a good option when insufficient enamel exists on your tooth. Since porcelain is brittle, it needs a reinforced backing material. The enamel on your tooth is similar in rigidity and prevents the porcelain from buckling and breaking. When insufficient enamel exists, the porcelain would require the dentin layer of the tooth to reinforce it, but the dentin is more likely to allow the porcelain to deform, and increase the chances the veneer will break. If there is not enough tooth enamel, another dental restoration option should be chosen.

Will Not Withstand Excessive Tooth Stress

Porcelain laminate veneers will break under too much stress and strain. Grinding your teeth at night may be an indication that porcelain laminate veneers are not right for you, and that you need a dental night guard. If you have a point-to-point contact in your bite that creates excess stress on those teeth, porcelain laminate veneers are not right for you until the points of contact are corrected. If you are prone to eating extremely hard food (such as corn nuts or beer nuts), your teeth experience extreme pressure during the grinding process and are likely to break anyway. Porcelain laminate veneers are not good at withstanding those extremely hard foods!

Although some thicker porcelain laminate veneers may be successful at handling the stress and strain you inflict on them, another dental restoration option may be better suited to your habits of lifestyle.