SMILE DESIGNING | DENTAL VENEERS

DENTAL VENEERS: WHAT ARE THEY? Dental veneers are mainly a very thin layer of filling [cosmetic] material stuck onto the front surface of the tooth. It forms a very important yet basic procedure in smile designing which can be used to close minor gaps between the teeth and hide crooked teeth . They are mainly categorized into two: Composite veneers : These are quick single sitting veneers where a thin layer of composite is placed on the tooth which is directly fabricated in the mouth or it can be processed in the laboratory .The only disadvantage is that these veneers get stained due to food habits and hence need to be polished once a year. Ceramic veneers : These veneers, also known as porcelain veneers or laminates provide the best esthetics and shade . However case selection is very important for such cases or they tend to pop out and fail.They are fabricated in the laboratory and then stuck on the tooth using special cements INDICATIONS FOR DENTAL VENEERS: Discoloured single or multiple teeth which cannot be corrected by bleaching Crooked or irregularly shaped teeth, chipped or broken teeth with worn edges. Teeth having gaps in between them where the patient does not wish to wear braces. PROCEDURE: In the first sitting the tooth to be veneered is evaluated clinically, X rays are taken and measuements are taken to study the case. In the second sitting once the correct shade is taken , the tooth is trimmed upto 0.5mm and then a final impression is taken . This procedure can be done without the use of dental anaesthesia. The third appointment mainly involves trial of the veneer and patient consent The final appointment mainly involves the veneer being stuck on the tooth surface with a special resin cement which is placed on a roughened tooth surface done with an etchant . LUMINEERS : WHAT IS THAT? In order to hide discoloured teeth, these are thin porcelain shells of about 0.3 mm thickness which are again stuck on the front surface of the tooth .These are however not advisable for a majority of cases as they make the natural tooth look too bulky. CAD/CAM VENEERS: This mainly stands for computer aided designing which mainly involves the help of a special software to feed the design of a tooth post its preparation for a dental veneer . The shade of the cut tooth is selected and accordingly a matching porcelain block is placed in the milling machine which is designed according to the instructions fed on the computer. This mainly results in production of high quality veneers which can be etched, silanated and bonded on the tooth surface on the same day thereby eliminating the need of any temporary veneers given to the patient in the time being . The biggest disadvantage however is the technical difficulties associated with this technique. CONTRAINDICATIONS OF DENTAL VENEERS: Dental veneers are mainly placed for aesthetic reasons in any patient and cannot be used to strengthen the tooth in any form.Patients with poor oral hygiene or decayed teeth cannot have veneers . Sports persons mainly involved in violent sports are not indicated for dental veneers. Patients having bruxism or night grinding and who excessively clench their teeth cannot be indicated for veneers.