What are veneers?

Dental facets or veneers

• What are veneers
• Types of veneers
• How dental veneers are installed

Dental veneers cover only the front sides of the teeth, turning healthy teeth into an ideal row by correcting minor irregularities (shape, position, size, color). In a word, dental veneers imitate natural teeth and give you the so-called Hollywood smile. Considering that dental veneers are not the perfect solution for everyone, it is necessary for your dentist to make a detailed examination and thus determine an individual plan for each patient.

Types of veneers

Dental veneers can be composite or ceramic.

Composite veneers are a quick solution and are made from composite, the material used to make white fillings. They are usually done on the front teeth for the sake of aesthetics.

Composite veneers are a temporary solution because sooner or later they must be replaced with new composite or permanent ceramic veneers. This means that they have a shorter lifespan (3-5 years) and are therefore less expensive.

Ceramic veneers are made of metal-free ceramic materials, they are of better quality and have a longer service life. In patients where it is not possible to make veneers, dental veneers can be combined with crowns.

How are veneers installed

The veneer installation process is painless with minimal tooth grinding. First, a model of the tooth is created using a 3D scan or an impression. The outer surface of the teeth is grinded, usually less than 0.3 millimeters per tooth, and it is usually done without anesthesia. Veneers are cemented to the teeth or applied in layers if they are composite.

When making ceramic veneers, the patient gets temporary veneers while they are being made permanently. In the case of composite (non-prep veneers), there is no period of wearing temporary veneers.

Injection method of composite veneers

The injection method of composite veneers is a new, modern technique of applying composite veneers. The procedure is painless, it allows you to choose a wide range of veneer colors, and you get a more natural and beautiful appearance of the teeth compared to classic composite veneers.

The composite used for production by the injection method is produced in the laboratory under controlled conditions, and the veneers produced in this way are less prone to porosity and cracking.

The production of composite veneers using the injection method is made by forming a silicone key (template) according to the desired tooth, into which the liquid composite that forms the veneer is injected. They are fixed to the teeth using a nano hybrid composite.

Veneers made in this way have a longer lifespan (5 years) than classic composite veneers.

The factory composite veneers most commonly used today are Componeer and Edelweiss.