What are Veneers?
Veneers are a cosmetic dental procedure that can give you that Hollywood smile, that nice porcelain, beautiful smile look. Some people can achieve this look with whitening and orthodontics, but not everyone can. Sometimes there are tooth size discrepancies, or perhaps you might not want to go through the time for orthodontic therapy or whitening, and you just want an immediate result. In such cases, veneers are the best way to get that perfect smile right away.
What was the downside of Veneers in the past?
Veneers used to be made of a very weak porcelain that looked nice, but their ability to mask defects and hold up over time was pretty limited. The ceramic advancements required the veneer to be half a millimeter thick, which often resulted in a fake-looking smile and required shaping of the tooth. This process weakens the tooth and over time, the veneer could come off or decay could develop around it. For this reason, I was hesitant to recommend veneers to most of my patients, especially younger ones.
What are the recent advancements in Veneers?
Recent advancements in 3D printing and bonding of zirconia, a stronger, thinner porcelain, have really allowed for no-prep veneers. 3D printed resin has come a long way and can be made as thin as one or 200 microns. The bonding protocols of zirconia to the tooth have also improved. These options for no-prep veneers are completely reversible, meaning if the veneer comes off, you still have your same tooth that you had before. There's no drilling of the tooth, no preparation of the tooth. These veneers look phenomenal, are very strong, hold up very well, and are completely reversible.
Why would you recommend the new Veneer technologies?
I'm excited about the veneer options we can offer patients again because we don't have to drill on the tooth. The veneers look really nice without having to do that. In the past, veneers could look chunky because of the half-millimeter thick material being added to the tooth without preparing it. It didn't look good and could inflame the gums. But, now that we can get those edges down to one or 200 microns, it looks really nice.
How to contact for a consultation or more information?
If you have any questions about newer veneer technology or are interested in a consultation for veneers or any cosmetic work, you can contact us at the office on (703) 451-4500.
Ever wonder why actors and actresses have such great smiles? In many cases, those Hollywood smiles are actually veneers.
Porcelain veneers are a fantastic way to repair or enhance the appearance of front teeth. They can be used to whiten teeth, close spaces and create a great smile.
Using veneers, we can even perform virtually “instant orthodontics” to straighten crooked teeth, fix chipped and worn teeth, and give you the bright smile you always wanted.
If you’re not interested in Invisalign®, but want a great smile, veneers are a great option.
Before & After:
Our patient initially had veneers placed by another provider but felt the results didn’t meet her expectations. After consulting with Dr. Dulac, a customized treatment plan was created to achieve the smile she had always envisioned. Through expert care and precision, Dr. Dulac was able to deliver the smile transformation she was seeking, leaving her with a natural, beautiful result that perfectly compliments her features.
Our patient had suffered from chipped teeth and a number of failed fillings over the years, we treated her with no-prep zirconia veneers, and now she can smile with confidence again and know that these will not break or chip. Zirconia is the strongest dental ceramic currently available, and Dr. Dulac has advanced training on how to predictably bond this material to teeth.
Our patient wanted had some trauma to his front right tooth years ago and had some bonding placed that had discolored. He wanted to close the gaps in his teeth and due to a tooth size discrepancy between his upper and lower teeth, orthodontics wasn’t an option. We did a two-visit porcelain veneer procedure to close the gaps and establish a natural smile so that he felt confident leaving the service and pursuing a civilian career.
This patient was concerned about fixing her front teeth. We replaced old crowns on the front two teeth, and did "no-prep" zirconia veneers on the side teeth. The patient was thrilled with the results and wished she had done it years ago. She smiles more now and has more confidence in herself and her smile. At Dulac Dental, we're changing smiles and changing lives.
