If You Need to Correct Your Smile, Porcelain Veneers in Cincinnati, OH May Be The Answer

Do you have teeth that are cracked or misshapen? Have you tried teeth whitening, but have some permanent discoloration that won’t lighten? If so, you could be a great candidate for porcelain veneers. Patel & Dornhecker Dentistry in Cincinnati, OH is proud to offer this versatile cosmetic treatment to patients in the Fairfield area.

What Are Veneers?

Porcelain veneers are incredibly thin, custom-made shells made to cover the front surface of the teeth. Veneers are made to match the color of naturally white teeth to enhance the appearance of your smile. Veneers are adhered to the front of the tooth to improve the color, size, shape or length.

There is another type of veneer made of resin, but porcelain veneers are more stain-resistant and mimic the reflective properties of natural teeth better.

Porcelain veneers can be a great option for individuals facing common problems such as:

• Tooth Discoloration – Teeth can be discolored for several reasons. They can be stained due to the food you eat (coffee, teas, wines and certain fruits or vegetables), tobacco use, poor dental hygiene, disease and some of the treatments for these diseases such as chemotherapy or radiation treatments to the head and/or neck and medications including tetracycline and doxycycline are all reasons you could be looking at teeth that have lost their natural white color.
• Worn down or chipped/broken teeth – Your teeth can become worn down over time and even become chipped or broken. Some of the leading causes are eating a diet consisting of sugary and/or acidic foods, erosion, a loss of tooth substance due to chemical or acid dissolution, grinding of the teeth, or loss of tooth substance due to poor oral hygiene habits
• Misalignment, irregularly shaped or uneven teeth – This can often be due to hereditary reasons, having extra or lost teeth or having poorly fitting fillings or crowns.
• Teeth that have gaps between them – most will notice this on the front teeth, but it can happen to any of your teeth and can be caused by having teeth that are too small for the jawbone (causing teeth to be spaced far apart), having an overgrowth of tissue bordering your gum line, or it can be triggered by bad childhood habits such as sucking on your thumb or developing incorrect swallowing reflexes.

Patel & Dornhecker Dentistry use veneers made of porcelain over resin composite veneers due to some key advantages the porcelain veneers offer. These advantages include:

• Their resistance to stains
• Their ability to appear and mimic natural teeth

Advantage of Porcelain Veneers

Your smile will shine as porcelain veneers offer a wonderful translucent quality that mimics natural tooth enamel. Comparatively, composite veneers can be porous and susceptible to staining.

Porcelain veneers are incredibly durable, normally lasting anywhere from 10 to 15 years. Composite veneers will normally only last 5 to 7 years. Gum tissue is very tolerant of porcelain. Veneers are less intrusive than crowns or braces.

What to Expect

A preliminary office visit will need to be scheduled so that x-rays can be taken of your teeth. During preparation, about half a millimeter of your tooth enamel will be trimmed and then an impression of your teeth will be taken and sent off to a lab so that properly fitting porcelain veneers can be prepared. This process can take 1 to 2 weeks.

Once Patel & Dornhecker Dentistry receives your veneers, the fit and color will be checked before being placed. Your teeth will undergo a thorough cleaning and the surface of the tooth/teeth receiving of the veneer will undergo a roughening process that allows the veneer to better adhere to the surface. The veneer is then applied using a special cement and UV light is used to harden it quickly once the veneer is applied.

A follow-up visit may be scheduled for a week to a few weeks after the procedure is completed to make sure the veneers are adhering properly.

Post-Treatment

Once bonded to your teeth, they require no special care. Just continue to practice good oral hygiene as you normally would daily. This includes regular brushing with non-abrasive fluoride toothpaste, flossing and rinsing with your typical over the counter mouthwash. Food and drink that could normally stain your teeth over a long period of time can still stain your veneers, so consider limiting coffee and other foods/drinks that may stain your teeth over time.

There are a few considerations to make before pursuing veneer placement. The process is not reversible. Before veneers are placed over your teeth, a small portion of enamel is removed. This means that anytime a veneer is removed, it must be replaced by a new veneer or your teeth will not be protected. Veneers are not a good choice for individuals with unhealthy teeth (including decay or gum disease), who have weakened teeth or who have an inadequate amount of surface tooth enamel.

If you are ready to find out more about porcelain veneers from Patel & Dornhecker Dentistry in Cincinnati, OH give us a call at either (513) 815-3166 (Fairfield Office) or (513) 815-3188 (Bridgetown Office).