subject: Veneers Basics [print this page] Veneers are usually installed by a cosmetic dentist, but veneers can also be installed by a dentist in another type of dentistry. Porcelain veneers and composite veneers are two different types of veneers that dental patients can choose from.
Porcelain veneers are hand made and hand crafted, customized to the specific teeth and shape of the dental patient. So, porcelain veneers are much more expensive because of the customization process. A dentist will make an impression or mold of your mouth before making the veneers. This is done so that the porcelain veneers can be specifically customized and hand-crafted for that specific set of teeth. Porcelain veneers are also permanent because porcelain veneers are bonded or cemented to the teeth.
If porcelain veneers become chipped it is possible to remove the porcelain veneers and re-make another customized set of porcelain veneers, but a dental patient would be paying all of the fees again for re-installation and re-handcrafting and re-doing an impression of the teeth where the new porcelain veneers will fit. Before porcelain veneers are installed there is also some filing down of the teeth so that the porcelain veers can fit over the teeth.
With this enamel that is removed a dental patient will never be able to go without porcelain veneers again since the teeth would be filed down. So, if a dental patient is wanting porcelain veneers, the decision needs to be a final and permanent decision before the porcelain veneers are custom-made and before the teeth are filed down for porcelain veneers installation. The price paid for porcelain veneers, surgically and financially is worth it though because porcelain veneers can really make a smile beautiful!
Another type of veneers is composite veneers. These types of veneers can be made very quickly and sometimes on-the-spot by the dentist so that the veneers fit the teeth. Composite veneers can be removed and replaced much easier than porcelain veneers. Composite veneers are also much less expensive since they are not custom-made in a separate veneers office. Also the material for composite veneers is not as expensive. Still, the process of composite veneers is similar to porcelain veneers installation.
A dentist will file down the dental patients teeth a little, not near as much as for porcelain veneers installation though. Composite veneers only need to have teeth filed a little to make them rough enough for the cement to stick more permanently to the teeth for the veneers to stay solid. A dentist will usually form the veneers material right there to the teeth of the dental patient on-site of the dental procedure. These types of veneers are a very good choice for fixing broken teeth. For instance, if a dental patient broke off one front tooth and likes their smile and needs a quick fix for the broken tooth, composite veneers are a wonderful choice! The dentist can make the veneers for that one tooth match the other teeth and the dental patient will only be paying for one part of the veneers rather than a whole smile full of veneers. Porcelain veneers usually have to be installed on all teeth showing for a smile so that all the teeth match which creates the beautiful smile that porcelain veneers are known for.
