Porcelain Veneers

Enquire About Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are an excellent treatment modality to improve and enhance your smile. They are based on a custom-made thin layer of porcelain shells that are bonded to your natural tooth. They are used for many reasons not limited to improving your smile but also fill gaps, mask discolouration, restore broken teeth and worn teeth.

Porcelain veneers are custom made by our master dental technicians. Not only can they be used to alter the shape, colour and appearance of teeth, they can be used to straighten misaligned teeth where braces are wanting to be avoided.

Benefits of porcelain veneers

Quick and easy method to enhance your smile. It can be completed within 2 appointments.

Corrects minor misalignments. Porcelain veneers can be done 1 or more teeth and can be used to give a straighter more uniform smile

Enhances the colour of your teeth. Broken down or discoloured teeth can be masked with a porcelain veneer making the tooth appear natural and match your other teeth. Or if you decide to get porcelain veneers for your top set teeth a new colour can be chosen by you.

The symmetry of your smile can be enhanced by improving the shape and alignment of your teeth with porcelain veneers

Disadvantages of porcelain veneers

Porcelain veneers can become expensive compared to other dental treatments like composite veneers. However, as they last a lot longer and look better, they are more cost effective.

Some tooth removal is required meaning porcelain veneers is an irreversible treatment. However, this is very minimal and not as severe as the media has portrayed. The porcelain veneers are meticulously crafted to fit to ensure they resemble your natural teeth.

Choosing Your Veneers

During your smile makeover, communication is key to our success. Most importantly, communication with yourself and our dental technician. During our treatment planning we will design the porcelain veneers and your new smile, by taking into consideration ample amount of information. This includes most importantly your preference and expectation, the shape of your natural teeth, your gum line, the shape of your face, your smile line and the colour of your teeth. Photos, scans and moulds will be sent to our dental technician and with all the information we have gathered from our clinical records appointment a new smile is designed. This will be presented to you and in many cases can be temporarily trialled in your mouth so you can see first-hand what your new smile should look like. Once you have been approved the new design, we can begin the work.

The colour of your new porcelain veneers will depend again on your preference, the colour of your natural teeth, the number of veneers we decide to do and the shade of your opposing teeth. All this will be discussed with you throughout the process.

Porcelain Veneers vs Composite Bonding

Composite materials have significantly advanced over the past decade and we are seeing fantastic results with them. However, Porcelain veneers have been in dentistry longer than composites and have a successful track record. They do not stain as severely as composite and their shine and luster lasts a lot longer. They are a lot stronger than composites, and therefore are less likely to fracture.

Their longevity is far superior and require less maintenance. On average your porcelain veneers should last you 15 years.

Is it painful?

No. As we are removing a small amount of teeth (normally the non-sensitive part) the procedure is pain free. We usually give you local anaesthetic to make the appointments as comfortable as possible for you.

The Process

Each case is custom and specific to the individual. However, if we were going to be doing a new smile make over with 6-10 new porcelain veneers the process will usually include;

1 - A consultation appointment is required. All the necessary records and photos are taken at this appointment. If we require more time to complete your records a further appointment is made.

2 - Any remedial, hygiene or general dentistry is required beforehand. You will need to be dentally fit – i.e no active disease.

3 - Smile design appointment. Your new teeth will be presented to you on photos or moulds and we can sometimes trial this out in your mouth. Once you have approved the new design, we can book for the preparation appointment

4 - Preparation appointment consists of removing a small amount of tooth structure to create the space for the new porcelain veneers. This is pain free and done under local anaesthetic. Moulds will be taken at this appointment and sent to our dental technician to fabricate your new veneers. We will then place temporary veneers on your teeth which will normally look like your new veneers.

5 - Cementation appointment. At this appointment we will try your new veneers in your mouth to check the shape and colour is correct. We will then permanently bond your new veneers to your teeth.