At Summit Dental Excellence, we offer personalized cosmetic dentistry solutions to help patients achieve a healthier, more confident-looking smile. If you are unhappy with chipped, discolored, uneven, or slightly misshapen teeth, porcelain veneers may be an excellent option for transforming the appearance of your smile.
Veneers are thin, custom-made restorations designed to cover the front surfaces of teeth. Depending on your needs, we may recommend either composite or porcelain veneers.
Composite veneers can often be completed in a single visit and offer a convenient, more affordable way to improve minor cosmetic imperfections. While composite can produce beautiful results, it generally does not offer the same durability, stain resistance, or longevity as porcelain.
Porcelain veneers provide a highly aesthetic and durable smile restoration. Porcelain closely resembles the appearance of natural tooth enamel and is resistant to staining. With proper oral hygiene and regular dental care, porcelain veneers can provide many years of service.
The Porcelain Veneer Procedure
Porcelain veneers are most commonly used on the front teeth, where they can make a significant difference in the overall appearance of your smile. Treatment begins with a comprehensive consultation to determine whether veneers are appropriate for your goals, oral health, and existing tooth structure.
If veneers are a good fit, your dentist will develop a personalized treatment plan. This may include photographs, digital imaging, shade selection, and other planning tools to help determine the ideal shape, size, and color of your veneers.
During preparation, a small amount of enamel may be carefully removed from the front surface of the tooth. The amount of preparation varies depending on the tooth, the desired result, and the type of veneer being placed. Impressions or digital scans are then used to create your custom veneers.
Temporary veneers may be placed while your permanent restorations are being fabricated. Once your porcelain veneers are ready, you will return to Summit Dental Excellence for the final appointment. Your dentist will evaluate the fit, shape, and color before permanently bonding the veneers to your teeth.
Minimal-Prep vs. No-Prep Veneers
Not every veneer treatment requires the same amount of tooth preparation. Minimal-prep veneers involve conservative preparation of the enamel to create the appropriate space and ensure the finished veneer fits naturally with the surrounding teeth.
In select cases, no-prep or ultra-thin veneers may be an option. These treatments require little to no removal of natural tooth structure, but they are not appropriate for everyone. Factors such as tooth position, spacing, existing restorations, enamel thickness, and your desired cosmetic result all influence which approach is best.
At Summit Dental Excellence, we evaluate each smile individually and recommend the most conservative treatment that can achieve a predictable, natural-looking result.
Benefits of Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers offer several advantages for patients looking to enhance their smiles:
- Natural-looking appearance: Porcelain closely mimics the translucency and appearance of natural tooth enamel.
- Stain resistance: Porcelain is highly resistant to many common sources of discoloration.
- Durability: With proper care, porcelain veneers can provide long-lasting cosmetic improvement.
- Customized results: Veneers can be individually designed to complement your facial features, existing teeth, and smile goals.
- Versatile cosmetic treatment: Veneers can improve the appearance of certain chips, discoloration, minor shape concerns, and spacing issues.
- Conservative treatment options: Depending on your individual circumstances, minimal-prep or other conservative approaches may be possible.
Your Oconomowoc Cosmetic Dentistry Team
A beautiful smile should look natural and feel like your own. At Summit Dental Excellence, we take the time to understand your goals and carefully plan your treatment before recommending veneers.
If you are considering porcelain veneers in Oconomowoc, schedule a consultation with Summit Dental Excellence to learn whether veneers are the right cosmetic dentistry solution for your smile.
Composite can last for a couple of years but porcelain veneers generally tend to last between 7-10 years, however it is not uncommon to find patients with 15-20 year old veneers that still look great. When properly cared for with good oral hygiene, they can last a very long time.
Absolutely! The material in veneers is crafted to recreate the color, texture and translucence of natural tooth enamel. Great care is also taken to fit the veneer over the existing tooth so that they match and align perfectly with the rest of your teeth.
The length of the procedure varies by how many veneers are being placed; 1, 2, 4, 6, 8. The procedure takes place over two office visits and the fabrication process takes about 2 weeks in between the first and second visit. Once you have decided how many veneers you will be getting, your dentist can give you a more accurate procedure time.
