(559) 227-6755

Are Veneers Right For Me?

By Curt P. Posey, DDS, INC

July 30, 2015

Tags: veneers

Veneers Porcelain veneers - you have a friend who rejuvenated her smile with these life-like ceramic shells. Veneers corrected the stains and mild crookedness of her front teeth. She looks like herself, only better and more confident.

Could porcelain veneers change your smile? Dr. Curt P. Posey in Fresno, CA helps individuals decide on just the right cosmetic improvements for their healthy smiles. He includes porcelain veneers on his comprehensive list of dental services designed to improve the health and aesthetics of teeth and gums.

Veneers Disguise Minor Imperfections

Skilled cosmetic dentists such as Curt P. Posey DDS in Fresno, CA offer several ways to aesthetically improve the appearance of teeth. For instance, teeth whitening bleaches stained enamel, and cosmetic bonding fills in hairline cracks and small gaps between teeth. Larger problems such as tooth fracture or weakened enamel from multiple fillings require more substantial improvements, such as porcelain crowns or even tooth replacement with bridgework or dental implants. Bite problems may need orthodontics.

Porcelain veneers fall somewhere between the 2 extremes. These custom-made shells of fine, translucent ceramic cover surface imperfections and misalignments such as:

hairline cracks
chips
pits
deep discolorations from pharmaceuticals, beverages, foods or root canal therapy
minor crowding and overlapping

When Dr. Posey does a smile analysis, he considers what cosmetic dental service will work best for the patient's smile goals and also what technique has a realistic chance of changing the appearance for the better.

How Treatment with Veneers Works

Once the dentist and patient agree on porcelain veneers, Dr. Posey carefully removes a 1/2 mm slice of enamel from the front of each tooth to be resurfaced. As this etching permanently changes the enamel, veneers are not considered a reversible cosmetic treatment.

Dr. Posey then takes impressions of the individual's teeth and sends them to a dental lab. The ceramist creates color-matched shells according to a model of the teeth and the dentist's detailed instructions. The shape, size and alignment must be just right.

During the next dental appointment, Dr. Posey bonds the veneers to the teeth, fine-tuning the size and position of each tooth for the most natural look and proper bite. He can even adapt the tooth color by changing the shade of the bonding cement.

The resulting smile is natural-looking and durable, too. With good brushing and flossing technique and regular exams and cleanings with Dr. Posey, porcelain veneers improve smiles for years without staining or cracking.

Change Your Smile

A study conducted by the American Association of Orthodontists shows that a full 1/3 of adults in the United States are displeased with their smile aesthetics. Are you one of them?

Why not talk to Dr. Curt P. Posey about how you want your smile to look? He may suggest porcelain veneers as a durable, beautiful addition to your healthy teeth. Contact Dr. Posey's staff to set-up a consultation. Call (559) 227-6755.