The Porcelain Veneers Preparation Process
The team here at Brooklyn Heights Dental® believes in providing patients with the best possible cosmetic and restorative care. Results matter, which is why we offer advanced treatments such as porcelain veneers to improve smile aesthetic and do complete dental makeovers.
Let's take a moment to look at the basics of porcelain veneers, particularly the prep process and what that entails.
About Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are thin shells of dental ceramic that are fixed to the fronts of a patient's teeth. When in place, porcelain veneers are able to mask chips, cracks, stains, and various kinds of alignment and spacing issues.
The best thing about porcelain veneers is that they are semi-translucent, which means that light is able to pass through them in a similar way as natural tooth structure. When in place, no one will realize that you have a porcelain veneer there.
Why Preparation is Necessary for the Placement of Porcelain Veneers
While porcelain veneers are very thin, there will need to be some tooth structure removed in order to accommodate the veneer. This helps ensure the most seamless and aesthetically pleasing results possible.
How much tooth enamel is removed during the preparation process?
Less than 1 millimeter of the tooth's enamel will be removed in order to accommodate the porcelain veneer. Great care will be taken to ensure that as much of the patient's natural tooth structure remains as possible.
What to Expect During the Prep Procedure
Local anesthetic may be used during the preparation process in order to reduce the discomfort that a patient experiences.
After cleaning the teeth, your dentist will work carefully to remove a very small amount of the tooth enamel in order to accommodate the porcelain veneer. An impression will then be taken of the prepped tooth or teeth. It is from this impression that your porcelain veneer will be custom-crafted. The impression is sent to an off-site dental lab for creation of the dental restoration.
When will the finished veneers be ready?
The dental lab will take a week to two weeks to complete the final porcelain veneers.
While waiting for your porcelain veneers to be completed, temporary veneers will be placed to protect the prepped part of your teeth and to ensure a generally normal appearance to your smile.
When the veneers are completed by the dental lab, patients will return to the practice to have the finished veneers placed.
Caring for Your Temporary Porcelain Veneers
It's important that patients brush and floss as they normally would in order to prevent tooth decay, though they should do so with a little more care and gentleness around the temporary veneers themselves. It's best to avoid eating sticky foods and candies in order to prevent dislodging the temporary veneers.
Contact Brooklyn Heights Dental®
For more information about porcelain veneers and how they can help you have the smile of your dreams, it's important that you contact our cosmetic and restorative dentistry center today. The entire team here at Brooklyn Heights Dental® looks forward to meeting you in person and helping you get a smile that's healthy as well as beautiful.
