What Are Porcelain Veneers?

Porcelain veneers are thin covers for your teeth, giving them a new visible surface. They’re called “porcelain” because that’s what the first ones used in Hollywood were made of, but today, they’re more likely to be made of advanced ceramic that can be stronger than your teeth. Since they’re not porcelain, some people call them “dental veneers.”

By giving your teeth a new visible surface, porcelain veneers can transform your smile. They have the ability to make it look as though you’ve got entirely new teeth. Veneers are incredibly versatile, too. You can use them when you have just one or two teeth you want to rework.

What Veneers Can Do for You

As we mentioned, veneers can greatly transform your smile. Veneers can:

  • Brighten teeth
  • Repair teeth
  • Reshape teeth
  • Lengthen teeth
  • Straighten teeth
  • Close gaps in your smile
  • Straighten teeth
  • Close gaps in your smile
  • Brighten teeth
  • Repair teeth
  • Reshape teeth
  • Lengthen teeth

By giving your teeth a new surface, veneers can brighten them. This works better than teeth whitening because the veneers can be as white as you want–your natural tooth color does not limit them. Plus, veneers resist stains to give long-lasting results.

Veneers can also repair teeth that are chipped, cracked, or worn. Your teeth will look whole again.

At the same time, veneers can reshape your teeth. If your teeth are small, veneers can make them look longer. Veneers can make your teeth look normal if you have a congenital tooth problem, like peg laterals. It can also build up retained baby teeth, too. By reshaping your teeth, veneers can straighten minor crookedness. They can also close gaps between teeth to give you a beautiful smile.

The Porcelain Veneers Procedure

The process for getting veneers is relatively quick and simple. It can take just two or three appointments, and you’ll have your new smile in less than a month.

Your Porcelain Veneers Consultation

Your journey to a new smile with porcelain veneers starts with a consultation. We’ll listen to your goals for your new smile, including whether you’re trying to restore your youth’s smile or looking for the smile of your dreams. We want to know whether you want your veneers to stand out to give you a smile that’ll get noticed. Perhaps you’d rather have veneers that blend in with your natural teeth, giving you a more subtle beauty.

After listening to your description of your goals, your cosmetic dentist will examine your teeth to determine if veneers are the best option for improving your smile. They’ll look for oral health problems that might benefit from other treatments, such as gum disease treatment, fillings, or dental crowns.

Then, your cosmetic dentist will propose one or more options for using veneers to craft your new smile. You’ll schedule your next appointment once you and your dentist agree on a treatment plan.

Tooth Preparation and Impressions

At your next appointment, your cosmetic dentist will prepare your teeth to receive veneers. This means removing a small amount of tooth enamel to ensure veneers fit smoothly over your teeth. This helps them look natural and attractive, and it ensures there are no ledges that can accumulate food residue and bacteria.

Next, your cosmetic dentist will take impressions of your prepared teeth. Our digital impression tools let us wave a wand over your teeth to create a 3D model. You don’t have to bite down into impression trays. Then, we’ll send your impressions to a lab where they will create your veneers. At our office, we will give you temporary veneers to wear until your veneers are ready.

Final Fitting

When your veneers are ready, your cosmetic dentist will check their fit, color, and shape. You get a chance to have your veneers approved. If you and your cosmetic dentist are satisfied with the veneers, they will bond them to your teeth.

Man smiling after his dental procedure

How Long Do Porcelain Veneers Last?

Porcelain veneers are highly durable dental prosthetics. When properly planned, placed, and cared for, we expect them to look beautiful and stay in place for 10-15 years. Some last even longer.

Veneers function just like natural teeth and don’t require much special care. You should avoid abrasive toothpaste and not use your teeth as tools–something you shouldn’t do with natural teeth, either.

Why Choose a Prosthodontist for Your Porcelain Veneers

Prosthodontists are specialists with significant excess training in advanced prosthetics like veneers. You know they understand how proper material selection can make a big difference for your veneers. They also understand how to properly prepare your teeth and ensure the best preparation for your teeth, veneers, and the bond between them. At South Bay Prosthodontics, our dentists also have exceptional experience–we are busy daily placing prosthetics to repair and beautify our patients’ smiles.

All of this helps you get better initial results and helps the results last longer.

With a general dentist, you don’t know how much training they have specifically related to veneers. It could be just a weekend course. In addition, you don’t know how often they perform this procedure. Most of their practice might be unrelated to prosthodontics. There’s more risk that you’ll get problematic results.

Don’t take a risk on general dentists when investing in your smile like porcelain veneers. Choose a prosthodontist.

Get Porcelain Veneers in Torrance, CA

Are you ready to transform your smile through the power of porcelain veneers? Let the specialist cosmetic dentists at South Bay Prosthodontics help.

Please call (310) 378-9261 or use our online form to request an appointment at our Torrance, CA, dental office.