Porcelain veneers in Naples, Florida

What is a Porcelain Veneer?

Porcelain veneers are composed of thin ceramic layers that cover the front of a tooth and mimic natural tooth enamel. Here are some of the ways they help bring back the beauty to your smile:

• Size and shape: Veneers can smooth out chipped teeth and lengthen teeth that have been shortened through tooth grinding, also called bruxism. Veneers also can adjust the shape of your teeth to best complement your features if you’ve always felt like your teeth looked too square, too round, too large, or too small for your face.
• Color: Food and drinks such as coffee or tea, tobacco products, medications, and even aging all take a toll on the brightness of our smiles. If you have one or more teeth that haven’t responded to whitening treatments as well as you’d like, veneers can make them bright enough to blend in with your natural teeth again—or even a shade or so lighter if you like.
• Alignment and spacing: If you’re past your teen years, you might not want to use braces to close small gaps between your teeth. Porcelain veneers can make minor adjustments in alignment and spacing and are so discreet, no one will know you have them except you and your dentist.

Veneers are custom-made from a mold of your teeth and applied with an adhesive bond, which helps strengthen them. Depending on the brand and type used, our dentist might have to reduce a small amount of your natural tooth’s enamel (less than 1 mm of the surface) so the veneer fits snugly and comfortably against your tooth. But once the veneer is in place, it won’t move or stain, giving you the smile you’ve always imagined.

How Is a Veneer Different from a Crown?

A veneer is similar to a crown in that both can change the color and shape of teeth, dramatically improving their overall look. But whether you opt for a veneer or a crown depends on the underlying health and condition of your teeth.

Veneers are only applied to the front of a tooth and are designed to mask minor imperfections, whereas a crown (also called a cap) fits over the entire tooth down to the gums. If you’ve lost a lot of tooth structure because you grind your teeth, have dental decay, or have had a mouth injury, a crown is the preferred method to reestablish a tooth’s function as well as its appearance.

Crowns also are often used for structural or cosmetic issues affecting the back teeth, which receive a greater amount of force when you bite.

How Long Do Veneers Last?

Veneers are designed to last for a long time – some last more than 20 years! Of course, that depends on your lifestyle and proper care. But as long as you brush and floss daily and don’t have any accidents to your teeth, your veneers should keep your smile beautiful over the long haul.

What Are Lumineers^®?

Lumineers^® are a specific brand of specific veneers known for being ultra-thin. They require little to no reduction in the surface enamel of your natural tooth to apply, but they’re remarkably durable. They’re also highly translucent, so they look like your natural teeth.

How Do I Care For Veneers?

If your veneers cover teeth that were damaged or worn down because of clenching or grinding, your dentist likely will recommend that you wear a custom-made night guard to protect them. But for the most part, you care for veneers as you would your natural teeth: brushing and flossing gently each day. That said, even though veneers can be tough, they can’t weather everything. We don’t recommend using veneer-covered teeth to rip open packages, for instance, or biting into very hard foods, such as candy apples.

Schedule a Consultation for Veneers in Naples Today

If you have additional questions about veneers or think they might be right for you, we’re glad to help. Call our caring staff in Naples at (239) 963-1743 to set up an appointment to discuss any concerns about using veneers and how they can fit into your dental care.