Dental veneers

A long-term commitment

This is the point to understand before anything else. Placing a veneer means preparing the enamel — a little, but permanently. The tooth will have to stay covered, by that veneer or another restoration, for the rest of its life.

That is not an argument against: it is the reason the decision is taken after simulation and try-in, never on an impression.

How it runs

• Assessment: the state of the teeth, gums and bite — nothing is placed on a mouth that has not been made healthy
• Reference photographs and 3D digital impression
• Design of the project, then a removable aesthetic try-in in the mouth
• Adjustments after that try-in, before any preparation
• Enamel preparation and final impression
• Try-in of the veneers, shade check, then bonding

The removable try-in is placed without cutting anything. It is the moment when a remark still costs a change to a file, not a remake in ceramic.

What veneers do not correct

Marked misalignment. Compensating for position through ceramic thickness alone would mean cutting into sound teeth — a great deal of them. In those cases, orthodontic treatment first, sometimes short and limited to the front teeth, gives a more stable result while preserving structure.

The assessment settles between the two routes, or combines them. It is often the combination that gives the best ratio of result to tissue preserved.

Living with veneers

They are brushed like teeth. The ceramic does not stain, but the bonding margin does — tea, coffee and tobacco mark it over time.

Grinding is their main enemy: clenching or grinding at night fractures ceramic. A protective night guard is offered where that sign is present.