A porcelain veneer is a thin custom-made facing bonded to the front of a tooth. At Dentistry For You in Broken Arrow we use them for the problems that whitening and bonding cannot solve: teeth that will not lighten, chips and worn edges, small gaps, and front teeth that are the wrong shape or sit slightly out of line.
Veneers change the colour, shape, length and alignment of the visible surface of a tooth in one go. That combination is what makes them useful. A tooth that is dark, slightly short and has a chipped corner would otherwise need three different treatments.
They are particularly useful for discolouration that comes from inside the tooth, which whitening cannot reach, and for teeth worn down at the edges by years of grinding.
Veneers are not a substitute for orthodontics. If teeth are significantly crowded or rotated, forcing the appearance of straightness with porcelain means removing far more tooth than is reasonable. In that case braces or aligners first, then perhaps a veneer or two afterwards, is the better route.
They are also not for teeth that are badly broken down or have had large fillings, because a veneer only covers the front. A tooth in that condition needs a crown. And active gum disease or decay gets treated first.
Call the front desk and we will find you a time that works.
The first appointment is a conversation and an exam. We look at the teeth, take photographs, and talk about what you want to change. Bring a picture of the result you have in mind.
At the preparation appointment the teeth are numbed and a thin layer of enamel is removed from the front surface, roughly the thickness of the veneer that will replace it. We take impressions, agree the shade, and fit temporary veneers so you are never without front teeth.
The porcelain is made in a laboratory, which takes a couple of weeks. At the fitting appointment the temporaries come off and we try the veneers in place before anything is bonded, so you can look in a mirror and say yes or no while changes are still possible. Once you are happy, they are bonded and the bite is checked and adjusted.
Removing enamel is permanent. A prepared tooth will need a veneer or a crown on it for the rest of your life, and when the porcelain eventually needs replacing, that is a cost to plan for.
That is not a reason to avoid veneers. It is a reason to be sure that something less invasive will not get you there first. We would rather talk a patient into bonding and whitening than fit eight veneers that were never needed.
Day to day they need nothing unusual: brush twice a day, clean between your teeth, keep your regular cleanings. The gum line is where veneers are most vulnerable, so gum health matters more than before, not less.
Porcelain is hard but brittle. Biting fingernails, chewing ice and opening things with your teeth are what chip them. If you grind in your sleep, a night guard is not optional, because grinding is the most common way veneers fail early.
Call (918) 355-1391 or send the contact form to talk it through.
Ten to fifteen years is a reasonable expectation, and many last longer. What shortens that is grinding, biting fingernails or ice, and gum disease that changes the gum line. A night guard is worth having if you grind.
The preparation appointment is done with the area numbed and most patients describe it as uncomfortable rather than painful. Some sensitivity to hot and cold between the preparation and the fitting is normal, and the temporary veneers protect the teeth in the meantime.
It depends on how many teeth show when you smile and how different they are from each other. Some people need two, some need eight. Matching a single veneer to its neighbours is possible but is the harder job, so we will be honest about whether one will blend.
A veneer can be taken off and replaced, but the tooth underneath has had a thin layer of enamel removed to make room for it, and that does not come back. Once a tooth is prepared it will always need a veneer or a crown. That is the part to be sure about.
We will tell you honestly if something smaller would get you the same result.