Ceramic veneers:

They are laminated porcelain fronts, like ceramic nails, which are adhered to the front of the previously treated tooth. It is necessary to grind the tooth on its front side, so it is an irreversible process, that is, once the tooth has been filed, it will always need a veneer to cover the filed area.

It is one of the most aesthetic treatments. It manages to change the color, shape, size and slight deviations and / or malpositions. The veneer is glued to the front of the tooth.

   How is the proccess?

In the first clinical session, molds of the patient's mouth are taken in the laboratory to perform what we call a diagnostic wax-up. This allows us to make the wax veneers to simulate and preview the final result. On this diagnostic wax-up, a silicone guide is created to help and guide the clinician when filing the teeth.

In a second session in the clinic, the teeth to be treated are filed (on the front side) and new molds are taken and sent to the laboratory, which will manufacture the veneers. Provisional veneers made from the diagnostic wax-up are usually left behind, although they are not always necessary.

After one week, once they have been fabricated and it has been verified that they fit perfectly, they are definitively cemented in the patient's mouth.

   What problems can veneers cause in the future?

They can be completely detached or part of them can be fractured, although these are rare accidents.

If they become detached, they can usually be cleaned, relined and re-cemented. If they fracture, there is no choice but to remove the remainder and fabricate a new veneer.

   What care do porcelain veneers require?

It is recommended, before any treatment that affects the incisal edges (to replace the edges of the vanes), should not cut with the blades: it is forbidden eating fruit in bites, biting sandwiches, biting nails or pens, etc. In addition, if the patient is a bruxist (clenching and / or grinding teeth) this type of treatment would not be as indicated, even having a protective splint to sleep. Following all the recommendations of your dentist will make this treatment very effective and long lasting.

As they are made of porcelain, the physical properties of the material will remain unchanged throughout the life of the veneer, i.e. they do not stain or age over time, so their color is not altered.

Composite veneers:

They are similar to porcelain veneers, but require considerably less filing of the tooth (it is a more conservative treatment). The manufacturing material is composite (composite resins: white filling), and they can be made directly (with direct layering techniques on the tooth) or indirectly (manufactured by the laboratory or by means of preformed veneers). They are less esthetic than porcelain veneers, and, unlike the former, this material, the composite, ages with time, so they can have color alterations in the future (they can be stained).