Porcelain Veneers
Barrie, Ontario - Canada
Do you catch yourself not smiling because of dental issues on your front teeth? Perhaps you feel uncomfortable in situations like a job interview and smile less than you would like to? Porcelain veneers have become one of the most popular cosmetic dentistry procedures, and for good reason. If you have a number of relatively small dental defects in your smile, porcelain veneers can be a quick and effective way to correct them all at once. They are tools to perfect your smile, making it as close to nature as possible.
A dental veneer is a thin cover bonded to the front of a tooth to improve its shape and color permanently. Porcelain is a dental ceramic material that looks amazingly like tooth enamel. There are many companies that offer porcelain veneers and Dr. Chapnick has found that Empress veneers give the best results. About 90% of his veneer patients have Empress porcelain veneers and are very pleased and satisfied with their new smile. You can see some of the results in our Before and After gallery.
The other ten percent of Dr. Chapnick’s veneer patients choose to have Lumineers, which are even thinner than Empress veneers. They require removal of little or no tooth enamel to make space for them and they are marketed as "no-prep veneers." Dr. Chapnick is impressed with the high quality of the Empress porcelain and uses it for other restorations as well – for dental crowns and white fillings.
Problems Corrected by Porcelain Veneers
Veneers are placed on front teeth only, teeth that are visible when you smile. Of the common cosmetic dental problems that people bring to our office, porcelain veneers can correct a large proportion:
- Small gaps between front teeth
- Slight crookedness
- Uneven sizes
- Mis-matched shapes
Staining that has not responded to teeth whitening
When Dr. Chapnick designs and places your porcelain veneers, all such defects will be covered by smooth, even, natural-looking tooth surfaces that are part of the teeth they cover. He will match the shade of dental porcelain he uses to the shade of your natural tooth enamel. That means that if you would like to whiten your teeth, you should do that before having veneers done, so that Dr. Chapnick can match the veneers to your new bright color.
Another cosmetic dentistry procedure that can correct similar smile problems is dental bonding. In that procedure, Dr. Chapnick shapes a soft, tooth-colored material to change tooth contours and sizes or fill small gaps, and hardens it with a curing light. You can read more on our pages Porcelain Veneer Options and Questions About Porcelain Veneers.
When Teeth Need Excellent Straightening
If you have crowded teeth that cannot be corrected with porcelain veneers, Dr. Chapnick will recommend Invisalign. Invisalign is a way of re-aligning teeth that does not use metal brackets and wires. Instead, it uses a series of clear aligners custom-made to fit over your teeth and gently nudge them into proper positions. You can read more at Questions About Invisalign.
Sometimes Dr. Chapnick will refer a person for more comprehensive orthodontic work if that is necessary. Those sorts of decisions can be made after you have had a personal consultation with Dr. Chapnick. If you would like to know more about porcelain veneers and how they might be used to improve your smile, please contact our dental office today. We serve the areas of Barrie and we hope to work with you soon.
