Types of Dental veneers; What are they and Why are they Used
Dental veneers are custom-made wafer-thin shells made from porcelain or ceramic materials that are attached to the front surface of the teeth to restore it. Some of its applications in dentistry are:
Restore fractured teeth
– these are commonly used to restore the structure and shape of chipped, or broken teeth.
Hide permanent stains
– these are also great in masking or hiding teeth stains that cannot be removed even when using professional teeth whitening treatments.
Close teeth gaps
– These can also be used to cosmetically hide open spaces between the front teeth.
Smile Makeover
– If you’re not happy with your smile, you can have it changed to the smile of your choice.
What are Different Types of Dental veneers?
Dental veneers are a type of cosmetic dentistry treatment that can help dramatically improve the look of your smile. It is made of a thin film that sticks directly to the front tooth to improve its appearance. Veneers are great for patients who have cracked, worn down, discolored, or chipped teeth. The cost of dental veneers justifies its treatment due to the many benefits it offers.
Furthre Read: Veneers or Dental Implants
There are various Veneer types.
Traditional Veneers
Traditional dental veneers are created at the laboratory off-side after your dentist has made impressions of your teeth. At the lab, a ceramicist will craft the veneers and make them look like your natural teeth as much as possible. Traditional dental veneers are made from various materials.
Pressed Ceramic
Pressed ceramic veneers are made by waxing a tooth to its desired contour, investing it, and melting out of the wax. They are then injected in lucite-based molten porcelain, and given constant hydraulic pressure to press additional material as the porcelain cools and shrinks; thus, the name.
Stacked Ceramic
To craft this kind of veneer, ceramicists will layer porcelain by hand to create a restoration that matches the shape, color, and translucency of the patient’s tooth. Because of this method, stacked ceramic veneers offer the best aesthetics and customization but it is not as durable as pressed ceramic veneers.
Zirconia-Based
Zirconia veneers use a type of ceramic material called zirconia oxide. Zirconia is designed to give your teeth a more natural appearance that you’ll be more confident when you smile. Zirconia-based veneers are also opaque, making it possible to hide the underlying structure of the tooth.
Lithium Disilicate
Lithium disilicate veneers are a glass-ceramic type of veneers that is composed of lithium and silicon. The properties of this material create a more realistic color as it can better match the color of your teeth.
Minimal Prep Veneers
Typically made of porcelain materials, minimal-prep veneers will need a small amount of tooth enamel to be removed and the tooth structure reshaped to allow for an even fit. Minimal and no-prep veneers have the same method in a sense that it does not require excess removal of the tooth enamel. These are a great choice for patients looking for porcelain veneers but who want a more conservative treatment.
Because of their thinness, minimal-prep veneers do not offer the same coverage as any other types of veneers.
Same-Day Veneers
Same-day veneers is an easy, painless, and less invasive method to restore chipped, discolored, and uneven teeth. Same-day veneers are completed in-office in as fast as one hour which means you don’t need to wait for several weeks or wear a temporary veneer.
Composite Veneers
These are made of composite resin material directly applied to your teeth. The natural looking teeth are sculptured to your teeth rather than in an off-site lab. It is a less invasive way to restore your smile. If you have chipped, worn, or damaged teeth then the veneer can be sculpted directly to your teeth to produce a beautiful, lifelike smile.
CEREC Veneers
Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics (CEREC) is a Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing unit that dentists use to provide same-day restorations. CEREC is equipped with milling software in which it can convert the scans of the patient’s teeth into porcelain restorations. The veneers made are as durable as traditional porcelain veneers saving you money and time on laboratory services.
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