Porcelain veneers

Think of a veneer as a new front surface for a tooth. A dental lab makes each one from porcelain, custom shaped and shaded from a digital scan of your teeth. The dentist removes a thin layer of enamel from the front of the tooth so the veneer sits flush instead of looking bulky, then bonds it in place.

Porcelain reflects light much like natural enamel, and it resists stains better than your own teeth do. Done well, veneers look like teeth, not like something added to them.

Veneers are a good answer when more than one thing bothers you about the same teeth:

• Stains that whitening won't lift, including gray or deep discoloration
• Chipped, cracked or worn edges
• Small gaps between front teeth
• Teeth that are uneven, too short, or oddly shaped
• Mildly crooked front teeth, when straightening isn't what you want

Veneers change the front of a tooth, not the health underneath or the way your teeth fit together. They aren't the answer for active decay or gum disease, which we treat first. They won't correct a significantly crooked tooth or a bite problem; Invisalign or braces do that job. And a tooth that's badly broken or heavily filled often needs the full coverage of a crown instead.

These solve overlapping problems, so it helps to see them side by side:

• Whitening lightens natural teeth and removes no enamel. Best when color is the only thing you'd change.
• Bonding sculpts tooth-colored resin onto a tooth in about an hour, one visit. Great for a single chip or a small gap. It stains and wears sooner than porcelain.
• Veneers change color and shape together and hold up for years. They need two visits and remove a thin layer of enamel.
• A crown covers the whole tooth. It's for teeth that also need strength, like one with a large filling or a crack.

Good candidates have healthy gums, enough sound enamel, and a clear idea of what they want to change. At the consultation we examine your teeth and gums, check your bite, and ask what you notice when you smile. If you grind or clench, we'll talk about protecting the veneers with a night guard. If there's decay or gum disease, we'll plan to treat it first so the result lasts.

Sometimes the honest answer is that you don't need veneers. If whitening or bonding one tooth would get you most of the way there, we'll say so.

Most cases take two main appointments:

• Consultation: we talk through the shape, length and shade you want, and you get the full written price.
• Preparation visit: with the area numbed, the dentist removes a thin layer of enamel from each tooth. A digital scan replaces putty impressions. You leave the same day with temporary veneers, which let you test the new shape.
• Lab time: skilled ceramists craft your veneers to the plan, which usually takes about two weeks.
• Final visit: we try the veneers in, check the fit and color with you, and bond them only when you're happy. Then we fine-tune your bite.

This is the part people worry about most, so we take our time. We talk about how bright you want to go, whether you like a softer or squarer edge, and how much of your front teeth should show when you smile and talk. The temporaries are a preview: live with them, notice what you like and what you'd change, and tell us before the final veneers are bonded.

With good care, porcelain veneers can last well over a decade. The habits that shorten their life are the same ones that damage natural teeth: grinding, chewing ice or pens, opening packages with your teeth, and skipping cleanings.

Care is simple. Brush twice a day, floss once, and keep your regular checkups so we can check the edges and the gums around them. Wear a night guard if you grind. Porcelain resists coffee and tea stains better than enamel, but the bonding edge can pick up color over time, so regular cleanings help.

The preparation visit is done with the area numbed, so most people feel pressure rather than pain. Afterward, teeth can feel a little sensitive to hot and cold for a few days while you wear the temporaries. Bonding the final veneers is usually comfortable.

Veneers are priced per tooth, so the biggest factor is how many teeth you're treating. Some people do one or two to fix a chip or a stubborn stain. Others do the six to ten teeth that show when they smile. Your cost also depends on any treatment needed first, like a filling or gum care, and whether you whiten the teeth next to the veneers beforehand so everything matches.

You'll get the full price in writing at the consultation, before any enamel is touched.

Usually not, because most plans treat veneers as cosmetic. If a tooth also needs repair, part of that treatment may be covered, and we'll check your plan. To spread out the cost, Sunbit and Cherry offer monthly payments you can apply for in the office.