What veneers are used for
- Discoloration that resists whitening. Deep intrinsic staining, patchy fluorosis, or a tooth that darkened from within after an old injury. Peroxide whitening has a limit, and once that limit is reached, covering the color is the remaining option.
- Chipped and worn edges. Grinding and acid wear shorten the upper front teeth over time. Veneers can restore the length, provided the grinding is managed as well.
- Small gaps and slight rotations. A space can be closed by widening the teeth on either side, and a small rotation can be masked by building to a corrected line. Proportion sets the limit on both.
- Undersized or misshapen teeth. Narrow, peg-shaped lateral incisors are the classic case where a veneer accomplishes something difficult to achieve any other way.
Veneers aren't the answer for significant crowding, where the teeth need to be moved, and they struggle under heavy grinding unless the teeth are protected. We also treat gum disease and decay first, through periodontal care, before any veneer is placed. And where a front tooth has little enamel left to bond to, we'll usually recommend a crown instead.
What the veneer process involves
Planning through to bonding usually takes a few weeks, and we sequence it so you approve the design before any tooth is altered.
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Examination, photographs and records
We check the health of the teeth and gums first, then take photographs, a shade record and impressions. If whitening is part of the plan, it happens at this stage and settles before anything is matched to it.
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Deciding the shape and the shade
We settle length, width, edge shape, texture and shade with you before any enamel is removed, using your photographs and records. The porcelain is made to that design, so this is the time to ask for changes.
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Preparation and temporaries
We remove enamel under local anesthetic, guided by the approved design, so the tooth is reduced only by the amount the design requires. You wear temporaries for a week or two while the laboratory works.
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Try-in, then bonding
We try the veneers in place first to check the fit, the shade and the shape, and that's the last point at which the laboratory can make changes. During bonding we keep the tooth completely dry, because moisture at that stage is what causes bonds to fail later.
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Review, and a night guard if you grind
We check the gums once they've settled around the new margins. Porcelain tolerates sustained night-time load poorly, so if you grind, we'll protect the veneers with a night guard.
Veneers or crowns
Both are porcelain. They differ in how much of the tooth they cover and in the reason each one is needed. More is on the porcelain crowns page.
| Consideration | Porcelain veneer | Porcelain crown |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | The front surface, usually wrapping the biting edge | The whole tooth, all the way around |
| Tooth removed | A thin layer of enamel, mostly from the front | A deeper layer from every surface |
| What it is for | The appearance of a sound tooth | Holding a weakened or broken tooth together |
| How it is retained | By bonding, so it needs enamel to grip | Partly by shape, so it works with little enamel left |
| Typical case | A chipped or discolored front tooth | A cracked tooth, or one after root canal therapy |
How long porcelain veneers last
Well made veneers on well maintained teeth can last many years. Some last a very long time and some fail early, and the variation isn't random, so the factors behind it are useful to understand.
Grinding is hard on veneers, and so are nail biting, chewing ice and using teeth to open things. Gum recession exposes the margin, and decay can start there, because the tooth underneath is still your own. Chipping is the other common failure, since porcelain is brittle where it is thin.
Replacing one means sectioning off the old veneer and making a new one, and a small amount of additional tooth structure is lost each time. If too much enamel has been lost by then, the replacement becomes a crown.
Common questions about porcelain veneers
How much do porcelain veneers cost?
Cost is driven by how many teeth are treated, the material, and whether anything needs repairing first. Veneers done purely to change appearance are usually excluded from dental plans. Give us a call at (559) 683-4694 to talk it through, and see insurance and financing.
Does getting veneers hurt?
We numb the tooth for the preparation appointment, and it's usually comfortable throughout. Teeth are commonly sensitive to cold for a few days to a few weeks while temporaries are in place, and that settles once the veneers are bonded.
Will veneers look fake?
Shade, translucency, texture and length determine that, more than the material itself does. Porcelain can be made to look beautifully natural, and it can equally be made uniformly bright and flat. Talking through the design with you before treatment begins is how we make those choices deliberate.
Can I whiten veneers later?
Porcelain keeps whatever shade it was made in, which is why whitening comes first and settles before anything is matched to it. If you whiten the rest of your teeth years later, the veneers won't follow, so it helps to plan the shade you want at the start.