Porcelain Veneer Candidates By Burton Gooch on June 19, 2018

If cosmetic imperfections such as chips, discoloration, or gaps are taking a toll on your smile and your confidence, porcelain veneers could be an option for you.

Our team at Gooch Family Dental in Birmingham, AL explores porcelain veneer candidates and takes a look at the oral and overall health requirements that must be met before this procedure can be performed.

Porcelain Veneers: A Brief Overview

Porcelain veneers are custom-made from high-quality ceramic porcelain. Crafted into shell-like fabrications, veneers are designed to adhere to the front surfaces of the teeth.

Color-matched to your smile, dental veneers can camouflage a number of aesthetic concerns, including:

Chipped teeth: Small chips can make healthy teeth appear unhealthy. A veneer can conceal these flaws and return a tooth to its original shape and size.
Cracked or fractured teeth: Craze lines or fractures can detract from a beautiful smile. Veneers can bring uniformity and balance to your appearance.
Tooth discoloration: Some stains cannot be addressed with teeth whitening. In these cases, porcelain veneers can be used to mask the discoloration.
Spaces or gaps between the teeth: If you have gaps in your teeth, veneers can effectively close the spaces between the teeth.
Slightly misaligned teeth: In some cases, teeth that are out of alignment can be treated with veneers. For example, a veneer can be placed strategically over a tooth to make it appear flusher to the neighboring teeth.

If you have any of the conditions mentioned above, porcelain veneers could be an optimal choice. Concealing these flaws can restore your smile and your confidence and deliver long-lasting results.

Porcelain Veneer Candidacy and Your Health

Patients who are interested in porcelain veneers should have healthy teeth and gums. Oral bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease can affect the results of any cosmetic treatment. Therefore, if you have cavities or periodontal issues, these problems will need to be addressed prior to veneer placement.

General Candidacy for Porcelain Veneers

Those considering veneers should have a full understanding of the treatment process, as minimal amounts of natural enamel will need to be removed for proper veneer placement.

In addition, patients should have realistic expectations and must understand that their veneers will need to be replaced at some point. This is not uncommon. In fact, while veneers are durable, they will not last a lifetime. With proper care and maintenance, however, veneers can last upwards of 15 to 20 years.

Alternative Treatments

In some cases, porcelain veneers may not even be necessary to achieve the desired goal. For example, some patients choose dental bonding as an alternative to veneers, as the procedure is more cost-effective. Bonding is appropriate for minor cosmetic flaws and lasts about five years on average.

If you are seeking veneers due to tooth discoloration, teeth whitening could be an option, as well, depending on the type of staining you have. For example, extrinsic stains, which are caused by foods and beverages, can be corrected with teeth whitening. Intrinsic stains, which are caused by certain medications, health conditions, or trauma, typically do not respond to teeth bleaching.

No matter what your dental concerns, our team can develop a conservative and effective treatment plan.