Enamel Bonding

What’s the difference between porcelain and bonded (composite) veneers?

Porcelain and bonded veneers are made from different products and have a different final appearance. Porcelain veneers are made from ultra-thin ceramic porcelain. Bonded, or composite, veneers are made from a composite resin. While bonded veneers use a minimally invasive procedure and are less expensive, porcelain veneers are longer lasting and provide a more natural look. The best way to determine which option is right for you is to speak with a cosmetic dentist.

Are veneers covered by health insurance?

What’s included in insurance cover depends on each insurance provider. We highly recommend contacting your provider directly to confirm if you’re covered for treatment. After your cosmetic consultation, we’ll provide a detailed treatment plan, including item numbers, for insurance purposes.

How do I get veneers to match my other teeth?

The colour of your veneers is entirely up to you. We provide you with a shade guide and our recommendation, but ultimately, the brightness of your veneers is up to you. During your consultation, we’ll remind you to consider your skin tone in different seasons, whether you wear lipstick or tanning products, and how well you can maintain the shade of your other teeth.

Can I get veneers if my teeth are chipped?

Your suitability for treatment can only be assessed during a consultation and examination. Generally, porcelain veneers are well-suited for chipped teeth, because they simultaneously restore the aesthetic of the tooth, and preserve strength, to prevent any further chipping from occurring.

Can I still get cavities with veneers?

You can be prone to cavities with veneers if your underlying teeth are not looked after, but good oral hygiene habits can control cavities. Brushing and flossing twice a day and visiting the dentist regularly are highly recommended. During your consultation, we’ll examine your teeth and mouth to ensure you are a suitable candidate for veneers. This examination includes assessing your oral hygiene habits. If there are fillings or root canal treatment required, we will discuss and arrange this before your veneer treatment begins.

Will my teeth be shaved into tiny tooth pegs?

We aim to have your teeth looking as close to natural as possible. During your consultation, our cosmetic dentist will thoroughly assess your suitability for veneers, and will explain to you the preparation required for your teeth prior to veneer application. Generally, there are two types of preparation for porcelain veneers:

• Minimal to no preparation: your teeth are in an optimal position for veneers to be placed on top. This requires little or no shaving of your teeth and only minor preparation of the tooth surface.
• Preparation: if your teeth are crowded, misaligned or not in an ideal position for veneers, orthodontic or Invisalign treatment can realign your teeth. If you are not interested in alignment treatment, your dentist will be required to prepare your teeth prior to applying veneers. This includes teeth shaving; however, new technology allows for wafer-thin porcelain veneers, which means much less of the tooth structure will be removed compared to older technology.

What is the most common reason to have veneers replaced?

As with most things in life, veneers don’t last forever. While porcelain veneers are strong and durable, they’re not invincible. Your veneers may need to be replaced for reasons including:

• A force or trauma causing your veneer and tooth to fracture or chip
• If you don’t follow correct aftercare procedures and your veneer degrades or chips
• If the enamel beneath your veneer decay, the tooth will require treatment, which may involve the removal of your veneer
• Gum recession, which can be caused by age, vigorous brushing, or even genetics

What can I eat and drink with veneers?

While wearing your temporaries, we ask that you take great care and eat a soft food diet, to avoid breaking the temporary veneers. They may break or chip from eating crunchy foods, like raw carrots and apples, and are prone to staining from food like curries, turmeric, beetroot, red wine, tea and coffee. Softer foods without vibrant colours, like mashed potato, yoghurt and soup, will help keep the temporaries safe.

With your porcelain veneers you can eat or drink anything you want. For the first few weeks after having the veneers applied, you may experience some sensitivity. We recommend chopping crunchy food into smaller, bite-sized portions until you get used to eating with your new veneers.

To preserve the health and appearance of your veneers, we recommend avoiding biting on the front of your teeth.

What can porcelain veneers change?

Porcelain veneers are an appropriate treatment option for a broad range of dental problems. A consultation with a cosmetic dentist can help you determine if veneers are an appropriate treatment option for you.

Porcelain veneers may help conditions including:

• Misaligned teeth
• Discoloured or stained teeth
• Thin tooth enamel
• Gappy teeth (diastema)
• Chipped or broken teeth
• Naturally small teeth (microdontia)

How do I take care of my bonded (composite) veneers?

Wearing a nighttime splint is an effective way to protect your bonded veneers. This will help make sure you avoid chipping or breaking your veneers if you grind your teeth or lock your jaw as you sleep.

Other methods of taking care of veneers include:

• Regular cleaning and maintenance
• Minimising habits like nail-biting, chewing on pens, and cutting tape with your teeth
• Avoiding high consumption of staining food or drinks
• Avoiding biting into hard items
• Seeing a dentist every six months for a check-up

What types of dental conditions can bonding address?

Enamel bonding is a great option to repair small chips, cracks and areas of discoloration on your teeth. It’s great for re-shaping and closing gaps between your teeth too.

Why is dental bonding so popular?

Dental bonding is quite and easy and simple procedure. I can be performed at a one visit in a short period of time. Compare to other options, such as porcelain veneers and crows it is very affordable. Its also a very conservative approach, as in most cases no preparation to the tooth surface is necessary

What kind of care is required following dental bonding?

You need to care for your bonded teeth bonded just like they would your natural teeth. Brush and flossing daily with your routine dental visit every 4-6 months.

Will dental bonding match my teeth?

Absolutely! We match the colour so the bonded material is not visible. Your teeth will look completely natural, no one will know you have had dental bonding performed on your teeth.

Are there any potential problems with dental bonding?

The material we use is very strong and hard wearing. However the bonded material may stain over time or may chip. However not to worry as the stains can easily be polished and any chips repaired . If we feel your teeth are suited for a more resilient option such as porcelain veneers or crowns, we will let you know!