Definition of Dental veneer
Dental veneers are ingenious aesthetic restorations applied by the doctor to the external surface of the teeth to improve their appearance or to fill the spaces created between two contiguous teeth.
Also known as aesthetic veneers or veneers, dental veneers are the result of a long research carried out in the dental field: these extraordinary restorations are specially made in order to correct the appearance of a tooth and obtain an immaculate, candid smile free of structural imperfections.
Applications
By masking the ugliness of permanent teeth, dental veneers find their main indication in the aesthetic treatment of the smile. Moreover, the application of the veneers it is also indicated to correct some dental functions compromised by structural defects of the teeth.
Just think, for example, of the extraordinary usefulness of these products in improving the chewing function in the presence of a crooked tooth: a dental malocclusion created by a tooth that is not perfectly aligned can sometimes be corrected through the simple application of an aesthetic veneer on the imperfect tooth.
Porcelain veneers are indicated in the following cases:
- Resize a chipped tooth
- "Whiten" yellow teeth by covering them with these thin ceramic plates
- Restoring the natural shine to the dental enamel, altered due to smoking, food, drink or self-induced vomiting: in these cases, the application of aesthetic veneers to cover the teeth is indicated when the hyperchromatic patina that covers them is not removable or through the scaling nor with professional teeth whitening
- Enlarge the surface of two adjacent teeth separated by a diastema (evident interdental groove) without resorting to the use of braces, false crowns (capsules) or prostheses
- "Lengthen" teeth that have progressively worn out due to old age or bruxism
- Improve chewing function, made difficult by the presence of a crooked tooth
- Make your teeth white and shiny for long periods
In summary, the application of aesthetic veneers on the teeth is indicated when neither the use of orthodontic appliances nor the professional dental cleaning / whitening treatment are appropriate or sufficient to obtain the desired result (white, straight and larger teeth).
Types of veneers
Dental veneers are not all the same: what changes is the thickness and the material used.
The thickness of the dental veneer is around 0.3-0.7 mm and its dimensions must coincide perfectly with those of the tooth intended for restoration. The extremely fragile and delicate porcelain and ceramic plates require great attention during preparation and in the trial phases before cementation.
The choice of veneer material depends on the patient's requests and the desired result. The most resistant and shiny are undoubtedly those in ceramic and porcelain.
There are also composite veneers, which however tend to chip, crack and stain quite easily: these prostheses are made from the same material with which dental fillings are made. The greatest limitation of resin veneers is durability: these restorations have limited longevity due to the tendency to marginal fractures, discoloration of the material, chipping and abrasion.
Unlike ceramic veneers, composite veneers allow functional aesthetic restoration in a "single session: it is an" emergency "treatment, chosen by the patient to save on the final price and to obtain an immediate result.
Benefits
In addition to improving the appearance of the smile in the short term (the corrective effect is noticeable immediately after the operation), dental veneers - especially ceramic ones - ensure a lasting and stable dental aesthetic improvement over time, in full respect of the tissues. of the periodontium.
When properly cemented by an expert hand, the aesthetic veneers ensure a perfect and enviable smile (... comparable to those displayed in advertising megaposters).
Another advantage of aesthetic veneers is the simplicity of intervention: their application on imperfect teeth does not present particular difficulties, does not require invasive surgical operations and is not painful.
Although not always recommended for purely aesthetic reasons, dental veneers can also be used in young patients: the margin between the restoration and the tooth is almost invisible and the consequent maturation of the periodontium does not require any replacement.
Disadvantages
A not underestimated disadvantage is the cost: although it can vary according to the tooth and the type of material, the price requested by the dentist for the application of a veneer varies from 800 to 3,000 dollars (about 600-2300 euros).
In addition to the price - objectively high - there is another not negligible drawback. The application of aesthetic veneers on perfectly healthy teeth of a young person is not always recommended for at least two reasons:
- A good part of the natural surface of the tooth must be removed to cement the veneer: for the success of the intervention, the tooth must in fact be suitably adapted by filing 3-30% of the tooth surface.
- Over time, the veneers may require reprocessing (limit of composite veneers): it is estimated that after 10 years from application, half of the superficial dental prostheses must be replaced by new aesthetic veneers.
