Are you unhappy with the color, shape, size, or length of your natural teeth? Give yourself a gorgeous looking smile with dental veneers, through the use of San Antonio dental veneers by Dr. John Moore, DDS and Cosmetic Dental Associates.

In this day and age, with the wide variety of cosmetic dental procedures out there, there is no reason to be unsatisfied with the appearance of your smile. Stained, chipped, or imperfect looking teeth can be cosmetically repaired with non-invasive porcelain veneers by a San Antonio dentist using porcelain dental veneers.

What are Porcelain Dental Veneers?

Porcelain veneers are custom-designed shells made out of a tooth-like porcelain material, and placed over the surface of your tooth—sort of like a mask—which cover the worn surface beneath the porcelain veneer. Because our dental veneers, also known as porcelain veneers, are made of actual porcelain, they provide a natural luminescence and appearance, while keeping the function of your existing teeth.

What do Porcelain Veneers correct?

Typically our San Antonio dental veneers or porcelain veneers are used to correct cosmetic problems with your teeth, such as chips, cracks, and discoloration or staining. However, the popularity and use of porcelain veneers has grown over the years, and San Antonio dental veneers have increasingly been used to correct abnormal spacing, uneven teeth, and worn enamel. In some cases, San Antonio dental veneers or porcelain veneers have even been used as an alternative to orthodontic braces!

I’m interested in learning more about Porcelain Veneers:

You might be asking yourself: “What are porcelain dental veneers” and “Why choose porcelain veneers?” We’ve included a helpful Porcelain Veneers F.A.Q section, so you can view some of the most common questions our patients have asked us regarding our San Antonio dental veneers or porcelain veneers procedures.

One of the simplest ways of learning more about San Antonio dental veneers or porcelain veneers, and other cosmetic dentistry procedures is to consult with our San Antonio dentist Dr. John Moore, DDS, to ensure that this cosmetic dentistry procedure is the right option for you. Please call or contact our San Antonio cosmetic dentistry office today to schedule an initial San Antonio dental veneer or porcelain veneer consultation.

 

Contact our San Antonio Cosmetic Dentistry Office for a FREE digital smile makeover now!

Porcelain Dental Veneer Videos

What is a porcelain dental veneer for teeth?

Porcelain dental veneers are thin layers of enamel like material placed over teeth to make them look better. They can be made of porcelain, glass or plastics like bonding composites and acrylic. Porcelain dental veneers come in various shapes and sizes to solve a number of problems. The porcelain dental veneer technique varies, depending on the problem, from a light sanding to a more aggressive trimming of the teeth. The problems that can be solved with porcelain veneers are fixing cracked, spaced, crooked or discolored teeth.

What is the black or dark line around a porcelain dental veneer?

Occasionally when the porcelain dental veneer doesn’t fit around the gum line a dark stain can fill the crack and make a dark line form around the veneer. Frequently, less experienced dentists or technicians crown the front teeth with metal edges that show around the gum line. This is the most common reason we see dark lines around the edges of the porcelain dental veneers and crowns. Advanced procedures can now prevent this from happening to porcelain crowns or porcelain dental veneers.

What is the difference between Lumineers® and porcelain dental veneers?

Lumineers® is just a brand name of porcelain dental veneers. Lumineers® began an extensive marketing program to promote thin veneers even though “thin” veneers had been around for nearly 20 years before Lumineers® came along. There are now stronger and thinner veneers available though specialized dental offices and labs. How “thin” veneers can be made is more related to the artistic skills of the dentist and technician than the brand of the veneer. The thinner the porcelain dental veneer the more challenging it is to fabricate and place.

Why have I seen people with thick bulky looking porcelain dental veneers?

The making and placing of porcelain dental veneers is an art form. They can be made too big, too bulky, and too fake as well as drop dead gorgeous. Usually the thicker looking ones were made on teeth improperly prepared by the dentist or by technicians that have a difficult time handling and shaping tiny delicate things. Often times the dentist doesn’t trim the teeth enough in certain areas and the technician is forced to bulk the porcelain out over the teeth that are sticking out. Both the dentist and the technician play a crucial role in the creation of natural, properly sized porcelain dental veneers.

What are dental veneers made of?

Dental veneers can be made from a number of materials that are translucent (letting light through it). The nicest of them are made of porcelain, which come from different places around the world. The finest and strongest porcelains are from Germany and look strikingly beautiful to the discerning eye. Their clarity and pureness of color is world renowned and highly respected in the dental industry. Less often some labs and dentists attempt to use colored glass, colored plastics and even quartz filled plastics call composites. These are simply materials attempting to imitate real porcelain.

What is the best color for porcelain dental veneers?

This is very subjective and should be discussed carefully with your dentist. It is extremely important to view your porcelain veneers in place with a test color paste to check if you like the color you have chosen as it blends with your natural teeth. Porcelain dental veneers, especially thin ones, will pick up the color of your natural teeth underneath and this should always be checked before permanent placement. Any truly cosmetic dental office will have you view and approve your new porcelain dental veneers before they are permanently attached.

How long do porcelain dental veneers last?

Porcelain dental veneers can last decades or longer. We have thousands of veneers in place over 20 years now and they look fantastic. The porcelain dental veneer itself can last a lifetime but like anything that is crystalline it is subject to being fractured. Also, if your gums recede you may want them replaced for cosmetic reasons. In any event, you can always replace one or all as you need to and as long as they look good and fit well you don’t need to.

What is the most popular color for porcelain dental veneers?

There is such a large selection of colors now available you should ask your dentist to see them. The whiter shades are definitely more popular because it is now possible to take natural teeth into stunning white shades. Many people can now have dazzling white and because of the art skills of some dentists and technicians it can be breathtakingly natural looking. Whenever selecting very white shades it is even more important to have them look real. When they are whiter, they will naturally attract more attention so you will definitely want them to look so real, no one could dare ask if they are. Dentists that are less skilled at making the porcelain dental veneers look real will tend to have you select yellower shades. This is so fewer critics will notice your teeth.

How do you veneer teeth with porcelain?

After you’ve decided how many and which porcelain dental veneers you want, the teeth are lightly sanded to remove the shiny glazed surface, any stains and any high spots that will make the final porcelain veneers look too thick. One to two weeks later, unless you’ve made special arrangements for a fast turn around, the veneers are finished and ready for you to see. Always check to see the shade and shape and finish before they are permanently placed. This is your opportunity to fine tune things to your likes. Once approved, the teeth are chemically prepared and then the porcelain veneers are fused to the teeth with fiber optic lights. The final step is the most important. It is where the dentist finishes the edges, adjusts the bite and does the final cosmetic shaping to make them look absolutely natural.

What different brands or types of porcelain dental veneers are there?

There are many different brands of porcelain as well as types. Some are stronger than others and some are easier to sculpt by the dentists and technicians. Some are more translucent and some come in shades that are not available in all brands. The choice of porcelain is best done by someone with a lot of experience with veneers and their fabrication. Way too often the type or brand of porcelain is selected by how cheaply the lab can get it or the skill and experience level of the technicians. Interestingly, the strongest and most beautiful porcelains are the most technically challenging porcelains to build and shape. They are also your rarest porcelain dental veneers and are also used exclusively here at CDA.