Porcelain veneers Archives - Lowell Cosmetic Dentistry Blog

Thinking About Sectional Veneers for Your Teeth? 3 Reasons Not to Insist on Them

July 15, 2019 by AllSmiles

Are you thinking about asking your dentist for sectional veneers to restore your teeth? Some skilled cosmetic dentists use this innovative treatment. But how do you know if it’s right for you? And should you insist that your dentist uses it?

Sectional Veneers vs. Porcelain Veneers

A porcelain veneer is a thin shell of porcelain that covers the entire front surface of a tooth. Porcelain is also used to make a sectional veneer, but it only covers the portion of a tooth that needs restoring—not the entire front surface.

When Are They Used?

Some cosmetic dentists use sectional veneers to correct small or minor issues on teeth, including:

Small gaps
Small chips
Minor cracks or fractures

Sectional veneers preserve more of your natural tooth structure and require very minimal preparation of a tooth. If there is significant damage to a tooth, an entire porcelain veneer might be required.

Which Veneers Should You Request?

Before you ask your dentist for any cosmetic treatment, you should wait until you receive a diagnosis and explanation of your treatment options. Several factors affect whether or not your dentist will recommend sectional veneers or porcelain veneers.

1. The Condition of Your Teeth

The condition of your teeth and gums, the extent of damage to them, and the goals you want to achieve for your smile all affect treatment recommendations. Your dentist will examine and x-ray your teeth to make a thorough evaluation of the external and internal condition of your teeth. He or she will let you know if porcelain veneers—or sectional veneers—are an option.

2. Your Dentist’s Experience and Preference

Only highly skilled cosmetic dentists can produce beautiful results with porcelain veneers. And experienced cosmetic dentists work with private laboratories and skilled ceramists who understand how to manipulate porcelain to give you lifelike results. Many cosmetic dentists don’t offer sectional veneers at all. Their experience, preferences, and each patient case affect which treatment they recommend. Experienced cosmetic dentists often prefer cosmetic resin as the first choice in concealing minor flaws in teeth. And they achieve beautiful, long-lasting results.

3. Your Risks

So although you can ask a dentist for any treatment, you should wait until you understand the condition of your teeth and the results you can expect from your treatment options. If you’re determined to receive a certain type or brand of veneers, only receive them from a dentist who regularly uses them. Otherwise, you might be dissatisfied with the results.

What Matters Most

If you want excellent results and a natural-looking smile, search for accredited cosmetic dentists in your area. Accreditation requires a dentist to pass oral and written exams and submit several cosmetic cases of varying complexity. Accredited dentists have proven their ability to give you gorgeous results. And after all, isn’t a gorgeous smile what you want?

Accredited cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Szarek of Lowell, MA, sponsors this blog. Visit Dr. Szarek’s smile gallery to see examples of his artwork.

Before-and-after porcelain veneers photos of one of Dr. Szarek’s patients.

BEFORE

AFTER

Porcelain veneers have ruined my teeth

May 6, 2019 by AllSmiles

I hate that I got porcelain veneers. My teeth are ruined. They are too everything wrong – too wide, too long, too white, and too thick. There is nothing that I like about them. I keep thinking back about what went wrong. These are not the veneers I tried on and now they are stuck to my teeth. I am miserable about the thousands of dollars that I spent on this disappointment. My dentist kept telling me that I would get used to my veneers and eventually like them. It has been 4 months, and I am still just as disappointed as I was the day they were bonded on. Can this be reversed? – Genesis

Genesis – We are truly sorry to hear about your experience with porcelain veneers. Many general dentists are willing to provide you with a smile makeover although they only complete a few cases a year. That’s not enough experience to provide you with beautiful results.

After your teeth are prepared and the veneers are bonded to them, the process cannot be reversed. Only a minimal amount of your tooth enamel should have been removed in preparation for veneers. But many dentists who are not smile-makeover artists often remove too much enamel. In either case, your tooth enamel cannot be replaced, and it won’t regenerate. Your smaller-than-normal natural teeth are without sufficient enamel and can’t remain exposed without some type of cosmetic dentistry treatment to protect them.

How Can Your Porcelain Veneers Mistake Be Corrected?

We highly recommend that you schedule a consultation with an accredited cosmetic dentist. If there isn’t one in your immediate area, it might be to your advantage to find one within a reasonable distance. An accredited cosmetic dentist has passed written and oral exams and submitted patient cases to demonstrate proficiency in designing beautiful smiles with porcelain veneers and other forms of cosmetic dentistry. What will a cosmetic dentist do?

Examine your porcelain veneers.
Examine your teeth.
Determine how much tooth enamel was removed.
Explain your options.

New porcelain veneers

In most cases, the only solution is to receive new porcelain veneers. As the photos below show, a skilled cosmetic dentist can produce lifelike results.

PORCELAIN VENEERS BEFORE
PORCELAIN VENEERS AFTER

Composite veneers

If only minimal amounts of tooth enamel were removed from your natural teeth, it is possible that composite veneers can be applied instead of porcelain veneers. But that’s a decision that should be left to your cosmetic dentist. Although composite bonding can be less expensive than porcelain veneers, there are several disadvantages if you want long-lasting results:

Composite veneers are not as durable and will need to be replaced every ten years or so. If you take good care of veneers, they can last 20 years or more.
Composite will stain, while porcelain veneers are stain resistant.
Depending on how much chairside time is required to complete them, composite veneers can be almost as expensive as porcelain veneers.

Although most dentists don’t provide composite veneers, a highly skilled cosmetic dentist like Dr. Szarek can produce beautiful results with bonding.

DENTAL BONDING BEFORE
DENTAL BONDING AFTER

This post is sponsored by Lowell, MA accredited cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.

Dull or Stained Porcelain Veneers? 5 Tips for Treatment and Prevention

March 21, 2019 by AllSmiles

If you take good care of them, porcelain veneers can last 15 to 20 years or longer. But what if your veneers look dull or are stained? A skilled cosmetic dentist might be able to help.

Polishing Dull or Stained Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers can be polished to a gloss similar to their original glaze. But your dentist must have the specialized tools, materials, and training to achieve the correct results. Otherwise, your veneers can be permanently damaged.

What’s Involved?

The right tools and materials

Photo of dental forceps holding a single porcelain veneers, from the office of accredited cosmetic dentist Dr. Szarek of Lowell, MA. — Regular maintenance will keep luster in your porcelain veneers

Polishing porcelain requires your dentist to use a combination of specific tools and materials that are designed for use on dental restorations. Some tools and materials might include:

Polishing instruments for use on dental ceramics
Ultra-fine polishing strips
Ultra-fine polishing paste

Maintenance

Porcelain veneers require maintenance to keep their luster. If you schedule regular polishing visits with an experienced cosmetic dentist, it can prolong the life and beauty of your veneers. Any accumulation of stains or dullness on your veneers will be minor if they are properly maintained.

Preventive care

What can you do to keep your porcelain veneers bright?

Avoid abrasive toothpaste – This includes whitening toothpaste that is not designed for use on porcelain veneers. Whitening toothpastes are abrasive and can scratch the surface of porcelain veneers. The tiny scratches will attract stains.

Use a soft bristle toothbrush – Soft bristles will gently clean your porcelain veneers and prevent scratches on the surface.

Use alcohol-free mouthwash – Alcohol can soften and loosen the bonding of your porcelain veneers. Fluid or bacteria can leak behind the veneers and cause staining or decay.

What’s Next?

A family or general dentist who does not regularly place porcelain veneers won’t have the proper tools and materials to enhance the appearance of your veneers. If your porcelain veneers need to be polished, seek the advice of a trained cosmetic dentist. He or she will examine your veneers and let you know the results you can expect.

This post is sponsored by Dr. Michael Szarek, a Lowell, MA dentist and accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

4 Challenges of Using Porcelain Veneers for Tetracycline Stains

February 14, 2019 by AllSmiles

Concealing tetracycline stains in teeth is one of the most challenging issues a dentist will ever face. But a highly skilled cosmetic dentist can conceal the stains with porcelain veneers and provide natural-looking results.

What Causes Tetracycline Stains in Teeth?

The stains develop due to taking tetracycline, an antibiotic, during childhood while permanent teeth are forming. Grayish brown stains become deeply embedded in teeth and cause them to look very dark.

Why Is Concealing the Stains So Challenging?

Although the stains can be concealed with porcelain veneers, there are challenges:

Natural teeth have translucency, and porcelain needs to have this same quality to look lifelike.
Tetracycline stains can easily show through translucent veneers.
In an effort to conceal tetracycline stains, a dentist or laboratory technician might make porcelain veneers too opaque. The result is chalky looking teeth.
Due to lack of experience with concealing the stains, some dentists cover only the fronts of teeth. The dark color from the stains can be seen on the edges of teeth.

Achieving the Best Results with Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneer

Skillful color manipulation is needed to provide natural-looking results. We recommend that you visit a dentist who is accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry or a dentist who can show you photographs of his or her own work on a patient’s teeth that had tetracycline stains.

Your treatment plan should include a try-in of the porcelain veneers before they are bonded to your teeth. Otherwise, you should request the try-in to ensure your investment is worthwhile and the results look natural. If you have any hesitation about the look of the veneers—if the tetracycline stains are showing through them—don’t accept them. The dentist and his or her laboratory need to ensure your veneers look natural.

A family dentist who is not skilled in aesthetics will likely offer you porcelain crowns to conceal tetracycline stains. But this treatment requires significant removal of tooth structure on every tooth that needs a crown. Porcelain veneers are more conservative, and a cosmetic dentist can produce beautiful results.

You can schedule consultations with at least two cosmetic dentists who will briefly look at your teeth and discuss the possibilities for concealing the tetracycline stains with porcelain veneers. A full exam will be needed to accurately explain your options and provide a treatment estimate.

This post is sponsored by Lowell, MA dentist Dr. Michael Szarek—an accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

3 Factors to Consider if Your Porcelain Veneers Don’t Match

December 16, 2018 by AllSmiles

Porcelain veneers are an investment in your smile. Teeth that are worn, crooked, misaligned, or discolored can be beautifully transformed with these thin wafers of porcelain. But what if you’ve been waiting to get your dream smile only to find that your porcelain veneers don’t match? Consider three factors before making a hasty decision.

1. Have They Been Bonded On?

If your porcelain veneers don’t match but have not been permanently bonded in place, stop. Don’t allow your dentist to bond them on. The try-in is your opportunity to let your dentist know whether or not you’re completely satisfied with your veneers.

Porcelain is colorfast, so the color can’t be changed. Once they have been bonded on, it’s too late. Before they are bonded, let your dentist know that you’re aware of the mismatch and you’re dissatisfied. The veneers should be removed and sent back to the laboratory to be remade. Don’t hesitate to let your dentist know there is a problem with your smile makeover.

2. Insist on a Match

Don’t let anyone convince you that the mismatch in color is okay or that you’ll get used to it. It won’t take long until you’re completely dissatisfied and looking for ways to get the off-color porcelain veneers removed and replaced. You paid for smile enhancements, so insist on a match. Settling for less will detract from your smile and become stressful as you find yourself hesitant to smile.

3. Get a Second Opinion

Photo of a porcelain veneer, which cannot be whitened, held against a natural tooth for Lowell, MA cosmetic dentist Dr. Szarek

Porcelain veneers cannot be lightened or darkened.

If you have given your dentist a reasonable amount of time to correct the veneers that don’t match but have not received positive results, it’s time for a second opinion. A true cosmetic dentist is an artist who knows how to manipulate porcelain so all veneers will match.

Schedule appointments with at least two cosmetic dentists—preferably accredited dentists—to examine your veneers. Unfortunately, your porcelain veneers will need to be replaced with new ones. An accredited cosmetic dentist will work with a master ceramist to produce beautiful veneers that match and make you feel confident—not embarrassed—about smiling.

It is possible that the dentist who originally placed your veneers will be willing to negotiate with you on the expense of having the veneers replaced.

This post is sponsored by Lowell, MA accredited cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Szarek. If you’ve received faulty cosmetic dentistry, schedule an appointment with Dr. Szarek for a consultation or an exam.