There is a variety of dental veneer materials to choose from. Knowing them can help you in two ways. One is that you can make informed decisions for the best possible treatment results. And two, you’ll have the leverage to discuss veneer material options with your cosmetic dentist in San Diego.
Of course, it’s completely normal to have some pretty obvious questions pop up in your head at this point. Well, today is your lucky day. At Blyss Dental, we ensure that our patients take part in their journey toward a Hollywood smile.
In this article, I will walk you by the hand toward the goal of having an enhanced and bedazzling smile. We will be jumping into different areas of each type of veneer material in a little more detail. This includes a brief background, pros, cons, and who are the best candidates for each type.
What are veneers and what’s the concept behind veneering?
You may be familiar with the concept of repairing your molar teeth with dental crowns. But did you know that when it comes to the front teeth, dental veneers can be a sterling choice for enhancing your smile?
In a bit, I’ll move on to the best dental veneer materials that you can choose from in San Diego. But first, let’s develop some context by going over a little back story about veneering.
Veneering is what it sounds like.
Picture a room in your home that could do with a makeover. You would ideally want to start with the walls with a thin layer of wood or wallpaper. This creates an impeccable appearance that conveniently camouflages the not-so-impressive wall finish.
This is the same with dental veneering. The cosmetic dentist will permanently bond thin shells (just like the wood or wallpaper layer in your room) on the front-facing surface of the teeth (the walls of your room) for the world to admire.
Veneers are a viable option to instantly fix damaged teeth. Choosing the best veneer material is important to achieve the perfect, Hollywood smile.
The result – a simple made-to-order instantaneous Hollywood smile makeover!
Dental veneers are usually for purely cosmetic reasons on your front 4, 6, or 8 teeth. You can get up to 14 dental veneers per jaw.
Why do people go for veneers? The most common reasons are the following:
- Chipped teeth
- Discolored teeth
- Slightly broken or gapped teeth
- Uneven smile
If you have the same concerns as above, then you may ask your cosmetic dentist about dental veneers.
Read more: Learn more about the crucial things to discuss with your dentist before getting veneers.
Before you embark on your dental veneer voyage, read this article till the end. Get some great tips and quips for selecting the best type of dental veneer material for your smile.
Knowing The Veneer Material To Choose: What’s In It For You?
Why do you need to know the materials that your cosmetic dentist will use for your veneers? How will it benefit you?
For one, this starter knowledge will give you a clear idea of the different types of dental veneer materials. Ultimately, this may help you decide on a potential winner for you.
But, no matter which material you opt for, it’s important to recognize that each type comes with its own set of pros and cons. Before we move on to the different materials out there, let’s all be clear and lay things out the way they are.
When you go to a cosmetic dentist, you want and expect nothing short of stellar and gorgeous results. It always pays to have a little honest and basic background of your options when setting out to do anything new.
Your cosmetic dentist will appreciate your efforts in this regard. A lot of dentists enjoy walking with their patients throughout their treatment journey.
Moreover, surveys point to greater long-term patient satisfaction with their cosmetic dental treatment. I ensure to involve my patients in every stage of the dental rehabilitation process.
The Different Dental Veneer Material Types
In this section, I lined up the major dental veneer material categories. I also included information that can bring you a step closer to the veneer material that is right for you.
Dental Porcelain & Ceramic Veneers
Generally speaking, these kinds of veneers are:
- made of high-quality ceramic material,
- quite translucent (glassy) in appearance,
- resist taking on stains,
- fairly durable when properly applied for the right type of patient,
- pretty good at capturing light, and reflecting it just like your natural tooth.
There are many different subtypes of porcelain veneers. Most of them are named according to the type of ceramic or porcelain used in their construction and the method used to fabricate them.
I will touch upon some of the different types of Porcelain veneer materials on the market today. Let’s try to look at them in a way that helps you put the right questions to your cosmetic dentist. And, decide on the best material for your unique smile makeover needs.
A. Feldspathic or Stacked Ceramic Veneers
Feldspathic porcelain is one of the top choices as a veneer material. It achieves a natural look by manually layering porcelain powder.
What is it?
These types of porcelain veneers were the first of their kind to become available.
A dental ceramist individually fabricates and customizes feldspathic porcelain veneers in a laboratory. The process involves carefully hand-layering the feldspathic porcelain powder/liquid formulations.
The process results in a dental veneer that strikingly matches the shape, color, and translucency of your real teeth.
The Pros
- When placed correctly for the right type of teeth, feldspathic veneers look stunning.
- They give off a very natural luster and vibrancy, paying dividends in the way of adding value to your smile line.
- Feldspathic veneers come in the form of thin porcelain shells.
- They are great for addressing issues with your natural tooth shade and form. As such, they are gaining popularity once more. So it’s true artistry for your teeth!
- Feldspathic porcelain veneers can be easily bonded to your teeth without shaving too much of the enamel.
- They are also known to be extremely biologically friendly with great esthetic results. You can expect a good service of 10 to 20 years from them.
The Cons
The good news is there aren’t many.
- They are not advisable for people with heavily stained teeth.
- They require a very good cementation quality and technique to prevent the chipping off or loosening of the veneer.
- Not suitable for people who tend to grind their teeth at night.
- Not suitable for people who have a very deep overlap of the upper and lower teeth upon clenching.
- More expensive due to the processing time and skill level that the dental laboratory has to put in.
- Not all dental labs fabricate them. Your waiting time can be longer to get your final porcelain veneers.
Who is a candidate for Feldspathic Veneers?
Do you have good teeth overall with a natural light shade? Do you have a few minor imperfections on your front teeth? If you answered yes, then feldspathic veneers can be your go-to option.
To put things into context, take a look at the scenario below:
It was a great summer overall for Andrea. She got into an awesome college in San Diego, her grades were stellar, and her parents were extremely proud of her accomplishments. She also loved helping out in her community and known to have a heart of gold.
But, as far as Andrea was concerned, something still held her back from unlocking her true potential.
Whenever she let loose a casual smile or a roar of amusement, she felt a sudden urge to put her palm across her mouth. It wasn’t that she had neglected her oral hygiene. In fact, she had stain-free teeth with no cavities to speak of.
She felt that as high school wrapped up, her friends and siblings pointed out some issues with her front teeth. One of them even looked a little tilted and turned sideways. Andrea could be a great candidate for feldspathic dental veneers.
The story above could be a strong case for getting feldspathic veneers. Andrea is one of many individuals who could fix her dental woes with this type of veneer.
B. Monolithic Emax Veneers
One of the strongest veneer materials around, Emax is one of the top choices of cosmetic dentists for its durability and esthetics.
What is it?
Emax veneers are one of the top choices by cosmetic dentists in San Diego. Also referred to as eMax laminate veneers, they are made from a material known as lithium disilicate glass-ceramic.
Emax veneers are crafted in a dental laboratory by milling a block of porcelain. They are then hand-painted with a porcelain-based liquid to achieve the desired shade and surface texture.
Pros
- Many cases require little shaving, cutting, and grinding of the target tooth.
- Considerably stronger than other types such as feldspathic
- Average service life of 15 to 20 years.
- Translucent appearance – closer match to natural teeth and better blending than Zirconia.
- Faster to fabricate which leads to faster delivery.
Cons
- Not much con. Proper case selection is very important – the right patient choice for this type of veneer
Who is it for?
Emax veneers are for those patients who are not extra careful with their teeth. It’s a strong and resistant veneer that can last a long time. Also, the long service life of these types of veneers is a great deal and a strong point of consideration too.
C. Emax Veneer Frame with Feldspathic Overlay
What is it?
This type of veneer is a subtype of the Emax Veneer. The concept behind it is to merge the strength of Emax veneer with the superior esthetics of the feldspathic material.
This is done by hand layering the top layers of the Emax veneer substructure with the feldspathic porcelain liquid for better optics, texturing, and color matching. This way, you can get the best of both worlds of strength, durability, and superior esthetics in your veneers.
Who is it for?
Looking out for dental veneers that deliver high esthetic appeal combined with superior strength and longer-lasting service? Then this all-in-one dental veneer material is for you.
D. Monolithic Zirconia Veneer Teeth
What is it?
These types of dental veneers are quite similar to lithium disilicate veneers and known for their enhanced strength.
Check out the pros below to see why zirconia-based veneers have become popular options when it comes to dental veneer work.
Pros
- A very high strength option for dental veneer materials
- Do not crack, chip, or break easily.
Cons
- Opaque material. May require a porcelain overlay to achieve a good aesthetic appearance.
- May require an extensive amount of tooth enamel removal before placement.
- Preparation for zirconia veneers tends to sacrifice a lot of tooth structure.
- More difficult to replace a zirconia veneer because it’s a very hard material to remove.
Who is it for?
Monolithic Zirconia veneers can be an excellent choice if you need help with hiding an underlying damaged or darkened tooth.
This is on account of the opacity and superior reinforcing strength qualities of Zirconia. This protects the underlying fragile tooth and prevents any see-through.
It’s also a good material if you have strong bite or teeth grinding issues.
E. Zirconia Veneer with Feldspathic Overlay
What is it?
A sub-variety of Zirconia veneers is also available with Feldspathic layering on top.
This uses the same feldspathic overlay technique for Emax veneers. This gives enhanced esthetics in terms of shade matching and color detail compared with a monolithic zirconia veneer.
Who is a candidate?
Do you have an extreme tooth shade and are color-conscious? Have dark teeth? Yet can’t go for the mainstream veneer material options due to extensively damaged front teeth? This material could be a winner for you.
This veneer material is also perfect if you have a few teeth that are already crowned or you are sporting a few dental implants. That’s because you need a reliable combo of enhanced strength and impeccable camouflaging of damaged teeth.
Composite Veneers
What is it?
Composite resin is the material used for making composite veneers. It is the same tooth-colored filling material used by dentists to fill and treat dental cavities. Composite resin is a combination of a polymer base and filler.
It’s a tacky, plasticine-type material that the dentist applies and sticks on the tooth in small layers using specific dental instruments. A special wavelength emitting light source is then ‘shown’ to the material. This permanently sets or hardens the material on the tooth surface.
The cosmetic dentist carefully matches the color of the resin material to the adjacent natural teeth. After which, it is carefully applied, shaped, and polished on top of the tooth surface for functioning as a dental veneer.
Another common term used for composite veneers is tooth bonding. They are also popularized as same-day veneers, as you can get them done and finished in a single sitting at the dental office!
Pros
- Can be made and placed in a single visit to the dentist.
- Very cost-effective when compared to other varieties such as Zirconia veneers.
- Can provide impressive results in a single dental visit.
- A variety of shades is available for accurate matching.
Cons
- The final appearance may not be as lifelike as the porcelain veneer varieties.
- Prone to taking on stains over time, especially if you eat a lot of colored foods.
- Not as strong – can be prone to wear and chipping so care is advised when biting sharp or hard items. It’s also generally recommended to avoid these activities altogether.
Who is a candidate?
Composite veneers are a good option for patients who want a quick fix of a few minor imperfections in their front teeth such as:
- Chipping of a few biting edges
- Change the shade of your teeth
- Change the shape of your teeth
- Contour and symmetry irregularities in just one or two front teeth.
The results in such cases can be quite exceptional, especially with the variety of shades available along with different dental composite brands available to the cosmetic dentist.
How to take care of dental veneers?
Good oral hygiene, including flossing, is important to keep your veneers in tip-top shape. Proper maintenance can ensure your veneer material’s durability.
Porcelain Veneers
Aside from regular dental checkups, everyday flossing, brushing, and mouthwash, most porcelain veneer varieties don’t require any special care or maintenance.
Also, there are few dietary restrictions for people with porcelain Emax veneers. The only exceptions are ice and hard and chewy candy.
Composite Veneers
Composite veneers may require more upkeep than their porcelain counterparts.
Not only is good oral hygiene a must, but it is also recommended to have yearly checkups and polish appointments with the dental hygienist.
There are also some dietary restrictions advised with composite veneers to reduce the chances of staining and chipping. These include but may not be limited to foods with artificial colors, coffee, and red wine to avoid the composite veneer material from taking up stains.
Conclusion
Well, that about wraps it up from my end for this article. Hopefully, I have made you supremely confident and equipped when it comes to arriving at the best dental veneer material for you with your cosmetic dentist.
This review is by no means exhaustive of course, but my intention here is to get you started in the right direction. Because at Blyss Dental, we believe in the active participation of all our patients in their dental treatment from the get-go.
Be that as it may, if you’re still confused about the right veneer teeth material for you, our doors are always open to help you land the best veneer material and deal.
So give us a call and book a free consultation today! Or, just visit our contact page to book your consultation online.
See you there!
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