Rapid City Porcelain Veneers

What are porcelain veneers?

Rapid City SD Porcelain Veneers , sometimes also termed dental veneers or dental porcelain laminates, are one of cosmetic dentistry’s more recent developments. These wafer-thin shells of porcelain which are bonded onto the front side of teeth can be an excellent cosmetic solution for teeth that are stained, chipped, or slightly misaligned.

Rapid City SD Porcelain Veneers are used in dental extreme makeovers in cosmetic dentistry practices everyday. Porcelain veneers are used to: close gaps in teeth, fix chipped teeth, improve a gummy smile, lengthen short teeth, and improve your overall smile. Many Hollywood stars have porcelain veneers put on as an alternative to traditional teeth whitening methods. With porcelain veneers you can actually choose the shade you want and they are resistant to staining. Porcelain Veneers Rapid City SD will give you the whitest smile imaginable.

What is the dental science behind porcelain veneers ?

Porcelain veneers are the most recent application of the art and science of cosmetic dental bonding. For decades dentists have had available to them materials which can create a durable bond to tooth enamel. Porcelain veneer technique utilizes the bonding capabilities of these materials to securely attach a thin sheet of porcelain (the porcelain veneer) to a tooth. Although porcelain is inherently brittle, when it is firmly bonded to a sturdy substructure (a tooth) it becomes very strong and durable.

What are the advantages of Porcelain Veneers Rapid City SD over other types of cosmetic dental bonding?

Two of the greatest advantages of porcelain veneers over other types of cosmetic dental bonding are:

A) Rapid City SD Porcelain Veneers create a very life-like tooth appearance.

You might be surprised to learn that while yes, a major component of teeth is enamel, they are not solid enamel. The enamel component of a tooth is actually only an outer shell.

B) Porcelain veneers resist staining.

Cosmetic dental bonding materials utilized in the past had the shortcoming of being susceptible to staining and discoloring. This was especially a problem for those people whose teeth had excessive exposure to tea, coffee, red wine, or cigarette smoking.

A significant advantage of porcelain veneers over other types of cosmetic dental bonding is related to the fact that a porcelain veneer’s surface is just that, porcelain. Since porcelain is a ceramic, and therefore glass-like, its surface is extremely smooth and impervious. This means that the surface of a porcelain veneer will not pick up permanent stains.

What are the advantages of Rapid City SD Porcelain Veneers ?

Porcelain veneers (porcelain laminates) can often be an effective method by which to make cosmetic changes in teeth that are chipped, worn, stained, crooked, or discolored. Please note that case selection is an extremely important factor in the success of this technique. Porcelain veneers cannot be utilized in every situation.

Only an examination by your dentist can determine if porcelain veneers are an appropriate method by which to make the changes you desire. Even if you find that porcelain veneers are not appropriate for your circumstances, your dentist will most likely be able to suggest other treatment options that are suitable.

One property of this enamel covering is that it’s translucent. This means that when light strikes a tooth’s surface it is not immediately reflected off, but instead penetrates into the thickness of the enamel. This light will subsequently be reflected off the non-translucent tooth structure that lies beneath the enamel. This property of translucency is an important part of what gives teeth their characteristic appearance.

Historically the cosmetic dental bonding materials dentists have had available to them were only semi-translucent. This means that most of the light striking the tooth did not penetrate into the bonding layer but instead was reflected off the bonding’s outer surface. The net result was that while the bonding did give the tooth an improved appearance, there was no sense of depth projected. No sense of a tooth’s characteristic translucency.

Porcelain veneers, because they are glass-like, have a great advantage over other types of cosmetic dental bonding by the fact that they are translucent. When they are bonded onto a tooth’s surface they mimic the light handling characteristics of enamel.

Light striking a porcelain veneer will penetrate its thickness, and then subsequently be reflected back out once it has reached the opaque cement and tooth structure lying underneath the veneer. This translucency effect provides a sense of depth, and thus a very life-like appearance.

What happens during the procedure?

Patients need three appointments for the entire procedure: diagnosis and treatment planning, preparation, and bonding.

Diagnosis and treatment planning: It’s critical that you take an active role in the smile design. Spend time in the decision-making and planning of the smile. Understand the corrective limitations of the procedure. Have more than one consultation, if necessary, to feel comfortable that Rapid City SD Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Jeff Loftus understands your objectives.

Preparation of teeth: This appointment will take from one to two hours. To prepare the teeth for the porcelain veneers, the teeth are lightly buffed to allow for the small added thickness of the veneer. Usually, about a half a millimeter of the tooth is removed, which may require a local anesthetic. At this appointment, a mold is taken of the teeth, which is sent to the laboratory for the fabrication of the veneers. This can take about one to two weeks. If the teeth are too unsightly a temporary veneer can be placed, at an additional cost.

Bonding of veneers: This appointment will take about one or two hours. First, South Dakota Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Jeff Loftus the veneers with water or glycerine on the teeth to check their fit and get a sense of the shade or color. While the veneers are resting on your teeth, view the esthetic results, and pay particular attention to the color. At this point, the color of the veneers can still be adjusted with the shade of the cement to be used. The color cannot be altered after veneers are cemented. To apply the veneer, the tooth is cleansed with specific chemicals to achieve a bond. Once a special cement is sandwiched between the veneer and tooth, a visible light beam initiates the release of a catalyst to harden the cement.

How about maintenance?

For about a week or two, you will go through a period of adjustment as you get used to your “new” teeth that have been changed in size and shape. Brush and floss daily. After one or two weeks, you’ll return for a follow-up appointment.

Porcelain Veneer Maintenance

Cosmetic dental work often involves a substantial investment, and may require special maintenance to help keep it looking its best. Cosmetic dentists with many years experience in the field, have valuable insights into keeping your dental work looking great for years to come.

Professional Care

Some professional maintenance procedures that are used typically on natural teeth or metal restorations can ruin the beauty of all ceramic or composite esthetic work. Be sure that your dental office understands these no-no’s and do’s:

Power polishing equipment, such as the Prophy-Jet®, which creates a powerful spray of sodium bicarbonate to clean your teeth, does nicely for natural teeth, but it will roughen the surface of porcelain or composite and make it stain more easily. It will look great at the end of the appointment, but in a few weeks you’ll notice the rapid deterioration in appearance.

Regular pumice polish, used routinely by hygienists to remove the protein pellicle layer from teeth, will scratch composite bonding. Even for durable porcelain veneers, the pumice will scratch and erode the composite that holds the veneer to the tooth and cause it to deteriorate prematurely. Hygienists should use a fine aluminum oxide polishing agent to polish cosmetic dental work.

Fluoride treatments have to be done carefully. Many hygienists and dental assistants, and even some dentists, don’t understand the difference between acidulated and neutral fluoride, as far as it affects cosmetic work. The acid in acidulated fluoride is hydrofluoric acid, which has the property of etching porcelain and the tiny glass particles in many composites, and thus it will make them more susceptible to staining. It can also actually remove the color from some porcelain crowns! If you have any fluoride treatment after cosmetic dental work, be sure that the fluoride used is a neutral fluoride. It isn’t as strong, but it will protect your investment in dental work.

Ultrasonic scalers, if used at the margins of porcelain or composite cosmetic work, can chip the margin and make the tooth more susceptible to recurrent decay.

If a porcelain crown or bonding does get looking lackluster or starts staining, there are polishing techniques that can bring the luster back. Rapid City SD Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Jeff Loftus can bring the shine back.

Most recommend extra maintenance polishing appointments – two per year – to keep the shine at its maximum, especially at the critical bond area between the tooth and the veneer.

Home Care for your Porcelain Veneers

Here’s your list of do’s anddon’ts for home care of your Porcelain Veneers:

The biggest no-no is heavy, frequent alcohol consumption. If you consume large quantities of alcohol daily, the alcohol tends to dissolve bonding or the composite luting material that holds the porcelain to the tooth. Within a period of a couple of years, you could completely ruin the dental work. So, watch your alcohol consumption. Moderate amounts won’t have a noticeable effect. Beware, also, of alcohol-containing mouthwashes. Read the list of ingredients on any mouthwash.

Regular toothpastes can be too abrasive for cosmetic dental work. We recommend Supersmile® toothpaste, because it is very gentle – it removes stains by dissolving them rather than by physical abrasive action. See our page on this site about Supersmile® toothpaste. Rembrandt® toothpaste has an aluminum oxide abrasive that is very gentle and is also safe for any cosmetic dental work.

Don’t subject your teeth to sharp impacts or hard objects. Don’t bite pins, nails, or staples. Don’t grind your teeth. If you tend to grind at night, get a nightguard to protect your teeth. If you engage in contact sports, wear an appropriate athletic mouthguard.

Floss and brush your teeth carefully. While the porcelain or bonding work is immune to decay, the part of your teeth not covered by the cosmetic work is still susceptible to decay. Keep it clean and it will stay decay-free and protect your investment.

Watch your frequency of eating. If you are a snacker, you will tend to develop heavy plaque and thus will tend to get more decay. The best thing you can do to prevent decay, the deterioration of your teeth and the dental work, is to limit your eating to your basic three meals a day and maybe a couple of snacks.