Which Is The Best? Composite Veneers or Porcelain Veneers?

Dental veneers are some of the most popular forms of cosmetic dentistry practiced today. They are used for restoring damaged tooth or teeth as well as improving the structure of an aesthetically perfect smile. Because of this, dental veneers are widely used in cosmetic dentistry. They can also be used to close gaps due to small teeth, lengthen small teeth, and restore a chipped or fractured tooth. Even crooked tooth can be corrected to make it look straighter. Also, it can be used to achieve whiter teeth.

Materials For Dental Veneers

Currently, there are two types of materials used in dental veneers, the porcelain and the composite resins. Porcelain, according to porcelain veneers los angeles specialists, is the first material to have been used successfully for dental veneers. Veneers were invented by a California dentist named Charles Pincus, but at the time, they fell off in a very short time as they were held on by denture adhesive. They were, however, useful for temporarily changing the appearance of actors' teeth.

In 1982, a research done by Simonsen and Calamia revealed that porcelain could be etched with hydrofluoric acid. In addition to this, bond strengths could be achieved between composite resins and porcelain that were predicted to be able to hold porcelain veneers onto the surface of a tooth permanently.

Porcelain veneers became popular because of this, and many people, particularly actors and actresses, have come to use porcelain veneers to improve their teeth. The only drawback with using a porcelain veneer is that when fractured, dentists usually replace it with a new one, which is very costly especially when a single porcelain veneer costs around $1000 US dollars and up. The expense of using a porcelain veneer is the reason why composite resins became popular.

Porcelain Vs. Composite Resins

When composite resins were introduced as successful materials used for dental restorations, the popularity of porcelain veneers declined. This is because composite resins are relatively cheaper than porcelain. Synthetic resins evolved as restorative materials since they were insoluble, aesthetic, insensitive to dehydration, and inexpensive. Compared with porcelain, composite resins are easier to manipulate as well. Another factor that made composite veneers popular is that it may be directly placed (built-up in the mouth), or indirectly fabricated by a dental technician in a dental laboratory, and later bonded to the tooth, typically using a resin cement such as Panavia. A porcelain veneer, according to porcelain veneers los angeles specialists, may only be indirectly fabricated.

The one thing that made porcelain remain popular when it comes to teeth whitening and aesthetic improving is its natural tooth color compared with composite resins. According to porcelain veneers los angeles specialists, dentists have had difficulties matching the shade of a composite veneer with its neighboring teeth, hence applying more composite veneers. Additionally, though composite veneers are much easier to repair compared with porcelain veneers, porcelain are known to be stronger than composite veneers, typically lasting 10-30 years, twice as long as composite veneers. Also, porcelain veneers are stain-resistant compared with composite resins. Though porcelain is more expensive than composite veneers, its built and benefits are just right for its cost.

Anne Fields, currently working as an assistant professor, has been presently active in the dental organizations over the United States. She has attained credibility and high respect for her vast experience as being one of the top 25 speakers these days. She also writes articles about proper dental hygene in her free time.