The Three Types of Dental Veneers

Veneers are one of the most popular popular practices that cosmetic dentists offer today. This is because veneers are the kind of material usually seen on reality TV show such as in Extreme Makeovers and The Swan in which contestants are treated to a makeover that could change their lives forever. These makeovers typically involve all parts of the body, particularly the mouth. One method used by specialists to provide these contestants sparkling, radiant, white teeth is to apply veneers. Other than OTC (over-the-counter) and topical whitening products, dental veneers have been found to provide faster and safer whitening results. It usually takes half a day for the procedure to be completed, and no chemical burns (typically associated with the use of topical whitening products) have ever been reported. But what exactly is a veneer?

According to porcelain veneers los angeles specialists, dental veneers are restorative materials placed over a tooth surface, either to improve the aesthetics of a tooth, or to protect a damaged tooth surface. Currently, there are 3 types of dental veneers used today. These are porcelain veneers, composite veneers, and lumineers.

Porcelain veneers

According to porcelain veneers los angeles specialists, porcelain veneers is considered as the first material to have been successfully used by researchers. In fact, porcelains are the first material ever to be used for dental veneers, which is why porcelain veneers are still considered as one of the most popular dental veneers up to now. Porcelain veneers, though can only be applied directly, are far stronger than composite veneers. Though hard to repair when fractured, porcelain veneers los angeles specialists have assured patients that porcelain veneers are unlikely to break and rarely fracture. Also, porcelain veneers are said to last twice as long as composite veneers. However, one major disadvantage is that porcelain veneers are very expensive. They range in price from around $1000 a tooth to about $2500 per tooth as of 2009.

Composite veneers

A perfect counterpart of porcelain veneers, composite veneers have become a popular type of veneer. Composite resins have become one of the most widely used restorative materials for dental procedures such as in dental bridges and non-metallic crowns. Composite resins are now also available for use in veneers. Though not as strong as porcelain, composite veneers became popular because of their cost. Composite veneers are significantly cheaper than porcelain veneers, allowing the public market better access. However, one problem that dentists face when it comes to composite veneers is its color. Unlike porcelain veneers, which possess a shade similar to that of a natural tooth's, composite veneers possess a slightly darker hue forcing dentists to add more veneers to neighboring teeth to perfectly match the shade.

Lumineers

Lumineers are porcelain veneers made to provide a far easier and far less invasive way of applying porcelain veneers. Traditionally, a tooth reduction of approximately 0.5 mm is required for a porcelain veneer whereas lumineers require no such procedures. This is because lumineers are as thin as a contact lens, which is why dentists need only to "clip-it" in place. Complaints about lumineers mainly stem around the veneers detaching themselves soon after the procedure. Criticisms include the lack of translucency normally associated with the enamel on natural teeth, the possibility of removal, cleanliness, as well as the thickness of the veneers themselves.