Modern cosmetic dentistry offers a wide selection of options for today's consumers for enhancing their smiles. As an alternative to crowns, chipped or stained teeth can be effectively restored with porcelain dental veneers -- ultra-thin, custom-designed ceramic shells bonded to the front teeth.

A porcelain dental veneer can change a tooth's color, size or shape. They're ideal for a number of tooth restoration purposes:

to mask severely stained teeth, such as from antibiotics;
those with discolored fillings on front teeth;
to repair crooked, chipped teeth;
or for those with poor spacing or worn enamel.

Dental veneers have a good longevity record, lasting many years when properly applied.

About the Procedure

Porcelain dental veneers treatment requires a four-step process:

First, patients consult with the cosmetic dentist regarding the specific nature of the desired changes. It is possible that you and your dentist may want to view the expected final result.

This can be accomplished by performing a "wax up" of your teeth on some impressions (molds) of your mouth. You may also view the expected result via a computer enhancement program.

During the next appointment, your teeth will be prepared for the dental veneers. They'll be lightly buffed to remove about 0.5 mm from the tooth's surface (which may require local anesthesia).

Next, an impression will be made of your teeth for customizing the dental veneers. This will be sent to a dental lab and used for creating a perfect fit. A temporary dental veneer might be applied at this time, if appearance is of special concern.

When the dental veneers are ready, the dentist will carefully attach them, adjusting the shade if needed. Once the dental veneers are cemented, color alteration is no longer possible. Dental cement is applied between the dental veneers and tooth. A "light" touch finalizes the process with a beam of light activating the hardening of the cement.
Once teeth have been veneered, they will require periodic treatment and regular visits to the dentist. The result is a beautiful and long lasting smile you will love!

Porcelain veneers are thin sections of high-quality ceramic that are bonded to the natural teeth to give them a smooth, clean appearance. They can be used to correct a number of problems, which makes them the best option for performing a complete smile makeover.

Patient with lake forest porcelain veneers.
Patient with feldspathic porcelain veneers on upper teeth. She requested natural shading and surface texture so that no one would know she had cosmetic dentistry done.

Porcelain veneers are used to:

Change the shape of teeth – adding length or width;
Improve symmetry and orientation – veneers added to reshape or re-align crooked or oddly shaped teeth;
Replace worn tooth enamel;
Repair fractures and chips;
Change the color of teeth (whiten)
Cover major stains or discolorations;
Create a uniform appearance;
Advantages of Porcelain Veneers

Dental ceramics are harder than tooth enamel and resist cracking or breaking. If properly cared for, they will last many years. These ceramics are also more stain-resistant than natural enamel. Unless the surface of the veneer is damaged, the color will not fade or change over time.

Trained cosmetic dentists can manipulate the ceramic used to make the veneers to replicate virtually any shade or translucency, giving porcelain veneers the appearance of natural teeth.

At Westchester Smile Design it is our main goal that patients be able to choose whether to disclose that they have had cosmetic dentistry work done. Many patients tell us that their veneers looked so natural, that friends first asked if they had changed their hair color or lost weight, instead of pinpointing their new smile.

Myths about Porcelain Veneers

Many people have heard that you must have your teeth “ground down” in order to have porcelain veneers applied. This is not the case. At most, a patient might need to have a very thin surface layer of enamel reduced slightly. In some cases they can be applied with no tooth preparation.

At Westchester Smile Designour professionals have perfected a technique that allows placement of very thin porcelain veneers (0.2 mm – less than half the thickness of a fingernail) with either no tooth preparation or very little tooth preparation required. Whenever possible, Dr. Markovitch prefers to leave the patient’s original tooth structure intact, to preserve the tooth’s strength and integrity.

Dr. Markovitch has extensive experience working with a number of different materials but prefers working with Lumineers and can choose the material best suited to each individual case.