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Composite veneers

A veneer is nothing but a thin layer composed of a restorative material to be positioned on top of a tooth. This is done to provide protection to the damaged tooth and to recover the aesthetic appeal of the tooth at the same time. Generally, two types of materials can be used in the fabrication of a veneer. They are dental and composite porcelain.

Composite veneers are very useful in improving the texture, shape, color and size of the teeth in order to make them visually more attractive. They can also be used to fix up minor cracks and chips in the teeth.

Composite veneers are created by applying the composite material to the surface of the teeth. Then the material is sculpted to get the desired shape. Creating composite veneers require great skill and expertise and thus are not everyone’s cup of tea.

Uses of composite veneers

Dental problems can be varied in types and composite veneers are used to treat a number of them.

  • Crooked teeth- when an individual has crooked teeth composite veneers are the best way to achieve the best smile.
  • Stained teeth- if one has teeth which have white patches, undesirable stains and discolored teeth which are not possible to treat with teeth whitening or dental cleaning then these veneers are the best.
  • Damaged teeth- teeth damaged by chipping or acid erosion then composite veneers are very economical, ideal and minimally invasive.
  • Closing of gaps between teeth - this is the commonest complain for which composite bonding is used to close the gaps.

Procedure for fixing composite veneers

If you have any gum disease then you are not suitable for the treatment.

An important part of the treatment is to decide upon the final color of the teeth. If extra white teeth are required than, teeth whitening is carried out first.

The treatment begins by cleaning the teeth to remove plaque and prepare a clean surface.

Than the teeth are isolated and dried with the help of a rubber dam ensuring absence of saliva which can affect the bonding material adversely. The surface of the teeth etched with the help of acid in order to roughen it up so that the composite material can adhere easily.

Bonding agent is then applied and composite material is cemented in layers to build the tooth. Final veneer is build after repeated steps of addition, sculpting and removal along with polishing.

Generally, they last for two to five years.