Cosmetic Dental Care

Ceramic Veneers

Too embarrassed by your teeth to crack a big smile when you feel like it? If crooked, chipped, broken, stained, gappy or uneven teeth are holding you back, you may consider ceramic veneers.

Porcelain veneers are thin, custom-made coatings designed to cover the front surface of the front teeth. They are a great way to improve the appearance of your smile and when done well, appear very natural.

Porcelain veneers are a more conservative alternative to crowns since they require less removal of the tooth’s original surface. It is still necessary to remove a small amount of the enamel from your natural tooth so that the tooth can accommodate the veneer in a natural looking way.

With porcelain veneers in place, you can expect a straighter, whiter and more even looking smile.

Porcelain veneers take two to three weeks to make and involve two dental appointments. Between appointments, we will place natural-looking temporary veneers so your appearance will be normal.

Porcelain veneers are recommended for:

• Closing spaces between teeth
• Restoring chipped or broken teeth
• Covering unsightly, stained, or washed-out fillings
• Whitening permanently stained or discoloured teeth
• Correcting uneven or crooked teeth

If discolouration is the problem, you may also consider teeth whitening, which we also do in our Creswick dental clinic.

Ceramic Veneers are not for everyone.

Due to existing tooth conditions, some people are not good candidates for veneers. Patients with tooth decay or gum disease must have these problems addressed first before considering dental veneers. There is also a problem for people who have little enamel left on the tooth in question, as a veneer will not be able to stick to it properly.

People with the habit of grinding or clenching their teeth - known as bruxism - are often not good candidates as this can cause the veneers to chip or break, resulting in frequent visits to the dentist that may not be covered by warranty.

In these cases, there may be other better-suited dental treatments to help fix the affected teeth.

Composite Resin Veneers

This is a cosmetic procedure to improve the appearance of the front teeth. If the teeth appear discoloured, are uneven, unusually shaped or have a visible tooth defect, a composite resin (plastic) coating can be placed over the front surface of the tooth. The coating bonds to the tooth and is colour matched for a natural appearance.

Composite resin bonding may be a suitable alternative to veneers if expenses are a concern, but they can less durable,  less colour stable, and care needs to be taken when eating so the material doesn’t chip or fracture.