Veneers and Laminates
Veneers and laminates are another conservative approach to enhancing the look of your teeth. They are a thin shell made of porcelain or composite resin that is cemented to the front surface of the tooth.
Like bonding, veneers are used to cover up discoloration, cracks and chipping, and to change the shape or size of your teeth. However, porcelain veneers outperform bonding with greater resilience and a greater resistance to stains and dulling. Also, they tend to look more natural than a bonded tooth.
Indications treatable by veneers include:
- stained/ defective restorations
- gap between front teeth
- fracture lines
- wearing of teeth
- discolored teeth
- malformed teeth
- slight malposition
- gum recession exposing the roots
- erosion/ abrasion of teeth
- in case of children teeth (with large pulp)
Comparison of veneer systems
Composite resin veneers
Composite resins (same as used for tooth -colored fillings) can be used in a direct chair side technique to form a veneer.
Advantages of these direct composite veneers are:
- Only one appointment is required
- cost to the patient is less
- composite resin veneers are reparable
- color and form can be controlled by the dentist
Porcelain veneers
These veneers promise “The highest esthetic potential to date for restoration of anterior tooth defects”. Porcelain is the optimum material for its color stability, esthetics, wear resistance and tissue compatibility. But unlike composite resin veneers these are constructed in labs from dies made from patient’s impression.
Porcelain veneers:
- Frequently do not require anesthetic and are less stressful to the patient.
- does not usually cause sensitivity
- maintains natural contacts between teeth
- eliminates display of metal at the gum margin
- does not usually require temporization
But these veneers are expensive. These are extremely difficult to repair if fractured and the technique involved in placement of veneers is extremely delicate. Some commonly used veneer system are the PROCERA and IPS Empress.
Ultra Thin Veneers
They represent one of the greatest advances in cosmetic dentistry. They are ultra thin veneers (as thin as contact lenses). They utilize ultra-modern state-of -the-art technology to create extremely strong, durable, thin veneer from porcelain.
They are placed on the existing tooth structure so that means in most cases there is no drilling of extremely sensitive tooth enamel is required unlike traditional veneers.No injections! No pain! No Drilling! No temporaries!
With thineers you can:
- Whiten teeth Permanently
- Re-shape Teeth
- Straighten Teeth
- Repair Chipped and Stained Teeth
- Place over existing Crown or Bridge work without having to replace them.
- Close gaps and spaces in between teeth
In cases where orthodontic problems are not very severe, THINEERS ULTRA THIN VENEERS will change the alignment and shape of your teeth, making them look whiter, straighter and more uniform.Moreover, this type of restoration has been proven to last for up to 20 years with proper maintenance and care.
This would include your regular Dental Check-up and Cleaning.
Materials for Inlays and Onlays
Dental inlays lie within the cusps on the chewing surface of teeth. A dental onlay, on the other hand, is more extensive than an dental inlay, and tends to cover multiple cusp areas. Both can be composed of gold, resin or ceramics. These pieces are bonded to the damaged area of the tooth.
Cosmetic recontouring
If the esthetic problem is limited to the contour of the teeth, mere reshaping of the tooth might suffice. Although the technique is invasive involving grinding of enamel, it is safe and gives immediate results.
Cosmetic surgeries
Excessive Gingival Display: This can be a significant esthetic dilemma for many patients. The condition usually presents as incomplete exposure of crown portion of the tooth and a high lip line, which causes a “gummy smile”. The cause is delayed migration of the gum margin apically during eruption.
When full exposure of the crown portion of the tooth is achieved surgically, there is dramatic improvement in esthetics by the concomitant lengthening of the teeth and reduction of the gingival exposure.
Gingival prosthesis
Gingival prosthesis can be given in cases of increased crown length and gingival recession , where teeth appears extra long.