click here to learn more about Cerec restoration. "same day crowns" Cerec

Click here to learn more about Zoom! Whitening

Porcelain Veneers

What are porcelain veneers?

Porcelain Veneers are ultra-thin shells of ceramic that are bonded directly to the front and top surfaces of existing teeth. They are an ideal choice for permanently changing the shape, color, size and spacing of your smile. Veneers are a simple, quick and versatile solution for correcting crooked, gapped, stained or misshapen teeth.

Southern Heights provides custom-crafted porcelain veneers for both beauty and durability that is unsurpassed. Your new veneers will not discolor or wear-down like natural tooth enamel and are highly resistant to coffee, tea or even cigarette stains. Because they are as thin as a contact lens, light can shine through them, allowing them to take on the natural color of your underlying teeth.

Longevity

With proper care, porcelain veneers will brighten your smile for well over a decade without cracking, chipping or changing color. Our doctors use only the highest quality porcelains and bond with the most advanced and proven materials available. We pride ourselves in offering the greatest attention to detail, on a tooth by tooth basis, blending precision dentistry, perfect planning, and an artist’s eye for detail.

This procedure will require three appointments:

Diagnosis and treatment planning
Preparation
Bonding

Diagnosis and treatment planning:

You will take an active role in planning your smile design by working directly with your dentist to establish exactly what your new smile will look like. Meticulous records, measurements and photographs are taken to evaluate your smile needs and determine what it will take to produce the perfect smile for you

Preparation:

The second appointment is where the necessary preparatory procedures are done. Teeth are lightly buffed, removing about _ of a millimeter to accommodate your new veneers. Relatively painless, the buffing procedure may require little or no anesthesia. Next, a mold is taken of the teeth and used to create your new veneers. If teeth are too unsightly, temporary veneers can be placed at this time. This appointment takes approximately 1-2 hours. Your veneers will be ready in about 1 week.

Bonding:

At your third appointment the veneers are bonded.

To accomplish this, veneers are placed on the teeth with water or glycerin to check for fit and color. (At this point, the color of the veneer can still be adjusted by the shade of cement used to adhere it.) Once color is determined, and veneer is ready to be applied, the teeth are cleaned with specific chemicals to maximize the bond. By applying a special cement between the teeth and veneers and then hardening the cement with a visible light beam, you’re assured of a radiant, long-lasting new smile.

The bonding appointment takes from 1-2 hours. Most patients return to their normal routine immediately.

Care and follow up:

Brush and floss daily, and return for a follow-up visit within 2 weeks.

You may experience some sensitivity to hot and cold. This is due to the amount of enamel left on the tooth after preparation. Sensitivity is normal and should dissipate after 1-2 weeks.

If you are a known clencher (bruxer), please be sure to let us know. We may recommend a soft night guard for you to wear to minimize stress place upon your teeth while you sleep.

A good home care regimen and regular dental visits will insure the beauty and optimal esthetic success of your veneers.

Click here to view our other Advanced Technologies