Porcelain Veneer Options
Barrie, Ontario - Canada
Are you interested in possibly having porcelain veneers but would like to know more about them first? At Molson Park Dental Office, we offer two types of porcelain veneers: Empress® veneers and Lumineers®.
Many people have heard or read about Lumineers and come to us asking for them. Dr. Chapnick will apply Lumineers for you if you would prefer that, but he does believe that Empress veneers offer more options to enhance your smile. Both types of veneers are made from dental porcelain and both can be applied as a standalone treatment or as part of a smile makeover. They are both metal-free and enhance the appearance of your smile beautifully.
Dental veneers should look exactly like real teeth, which means that the porcelain material must be made a certain way, using the right proportions of the right ingredients. The material must:
- Reflect light in the same way that tooth enamel does, creating a pearly white sheen.
- Be white, but not a dead white like a piece of blank paper. There must be subtle variations of shade like tooth enamel.
- Be strong and durable to provide many years of biting and chewing power.
- Bond well to the teeth and remain firmly in place for the long term.
The main differences between Empress veneers and Lumineers are that Lumineers are thinner and therefore require less enamel to be removed, or none at all in some cases, and that they use slightly different porcelain.
More About Empress Veneers
Empress veneers are 0.5 mm thick. Empress veneer material was first developed in 1991 by an international team of ceramists, and since then millions of dental patients have reaped the benefit of these beautiful veneers.
When Dr. Chapnick prepares your teeth for veneers, he removes a thin layer of enamel and sends photos, impressions, and other data to a dental laboratory that uses Empress porcelain.
For reliable strength, Empress porcelain contains a proper distribution of leucite crystals. Leucite is a naturally-occurring mineral and is used to reinforce ceramics by distributing impact forces that might otherwise cause a fracture. The crystals are very tiny and have a very high melting point, which means they remain intact through the porcelain firing process.
When Empress veneers are made, both pressing and layering techniques are used for translucency and color variation. The Empress system offers dental porcelain that can be used for tooth crowns as well as for dental veneers.
More About Lumineers®
Lumineers are marketed as "no-prep" veneers because they can be as thin as .3 mm that little or no tooth enamel needs to be removed to make room for them. That is an advantage in that removal of healthy tooth tissue would seem to be undesirable. However, this can make it more difficult to mask dark discoloration on the teeth and can give the doctor less control in creating your smile. In the right situation, Dr chapnick can use lumineers to enhance your smile with the least amount of tooth removal.
Please see Lumineers and Questions About Dental Veneers for more information.
Dr. Chapnick and his team run a patient-centered dental practice. That means that he will answer all questions and explain how your various options could help, but in the end, it is your decision as to what should be done. Our highly qualified team members work well together and we want your time with us to be relaxed and pleasant.
If you would like to schedule a free general consultation with Dr. Chapnick or a team member, please call or email our dental office today. Dr. Chapnick works from both Barrie, and we look forward to meeting with you.
