Porcelain Veneers

Our Specialty!

Veneers are very thin pieces of durable, tooth shaped porcelain that are custom made (for shape and color) by our professional Master dental Technician. They are bonded onto the front of your teeth to create a beautiful and attractive smile.

Veneers can completely reshape your teeth and smile. They can often be alternatives to crowns and the ideal solution in treating many dental conditions.

As with most dental restorations, veneers are not permanent and may someday need replacement. They are very durable and will last many years, giving you a beautiful long lasting smile.

Reasons for porcelain veneers:

Cosmetically, to create a uniform, white, beautiful smile.
Crooked teeth.
Misshapen teeth.
Severely discolored or stained teeth.
Teeth that are too small or large.
Unwanted or uneven spaces.
Worn or chipped teeth.
Alternative to bleaching.

What does getting porcelain veneers involve?

Veneers could take two visits to complete the process. The teeth are prepared by lightly buffing and shaping the surface to allow for the thickness of the veneer. A mold or impression of the teeth is taken and a shade (color) will then be chosen with your help.

On the second visit the teeth will be cleansed with special liquids to achieve a durable bond. Bonding cement is then placed between the tooth and veneer, a special LED light is used to harden and set the bond.

You will receive care instructions for veneers. Proper brushing, flossing and regular dental visits will aid in the life of your new veneers.

Dr Rojas will gladly assess your situation taking into consideration your needs, wants and technical aspects to provide you with a great aesthetic result.

Your treatment could also be done in five appointments as follows:

1- Consultion to do the evaluation, treatment planning and quote (we will determine together how many teeth should be included according to your smile and affordability
2- Possible mock up (playing with different reversible possibilities) to verify in your mouth what could be done to enhance your situation
3- Prepare your teeth for the porcelain crowns and/or veneers and one week later,
4- Cementing of the state of the art restorations
5- Final polishing and adjustment of the bite as and if required.

Appointment 2 carries additional costs and can be excluded at patient's request.
Appointment 2 and 3 can be merged into one.

In the beginning, all veneers were of the no-prep or very minimal-prep variety. In the 1980s the no-prep approach had limited esthetic success. The problems were simple to understand - without prepping the teeth there wasn't room to make restorations that were esthetically pleasing in most cases. It was in that era that we made our share of "horse teeth".

As the dental profession gained experience with bonded porcelain and dental bonding materials became available, emboldened dentists began to overcome the self-imposed difficulties brought on by preparation limitations. They began prepping more aggressively. The esthetics were much better in these cases and during the 1990's tooth preparation became the norm for veneer procedures.

In the past few years, a powerful and well-funded marketing campaign to the public by a prominent dental company has promoted no-prep veneers as something new. It has pressured dentists to feel compelled to offer the service as advertised. So, it is back to the 80's we go.

True, materials have changed (from feldspathic to pressed to milled), making for slightly better lab results than were possible in the 80s, but the difficulties imposed by no- prep or minimal-prep cases remain basically the same as they did then.

The HOME OF BIOLOGICAL DENTISTRY lab now uses a MILLING process to produce veneers in sections as thin as 0.3mm instead of a minimum of 0.5mm as with the previous methods. However, the newest process does not solve the problems imposed by no-prep or minimal-prep veneers.That is - there isn't room to develop proper embrasures and anatomy.

Pros and cons of Minimal or No-Prep Veneers

Advantages:

Patients like the idea of not prepping and therefore these cases are easier to sell
Temporaries are often unnecessary, lowering the cost of treatment
Restorations bond strongly to enamel, so these stay put
Procedures are reversible if the results are not satisfactory
There is minimal damage to the dental pulp

Disadvantages:

Esthetic changes are limited
Limited potential for color change
Difficulties manufacturing, inserting and bonding the restorations
Patient complaints about excessive bulk
Flat esthetics due to lack of room to create deep embrasures

These are the balls each dentist must juggle when making decisions about how to proceed with cosmetic cases. Success will never be 100%, no matter which techniques are selected. Everything works in the right situation and nothing works in the wrong one.

Our experience at The HOME OF BIOLOGICAL DENTISTRY has shown that careful planning with consideration for ALL the options plays THE crucial role in predictable cosmetic results.

If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact us today at:

Tel. +27 12346 2028 / +27 12346 5615 or +27741260768, alternatively e-mail us at info@southafricadentist.com. We look forward to providing you with the personal care you deserve.