To determine if you are a candidate for dental veneers, your Balwyn dentist will schedule a preliminary consultation during which your oral health will be evaluated and all available treatment options discussed. (Most dentists prefer to offer patients the most minimally invasive options.) Treatment involving tooth preparation is irreversible, so it is important that your dentist discuss any alternatives that provide the same results but with minimal to no removal of tooth structure. If you and your dentist decide that veneers are the best option, the next step involves a thorough review of treatment details, including preparing your teeth for your specific veneer procedure and what will be necessary for them to look and fit correctly.

During your consultation, you will actively participate in the “smile design process.” By sharing your preferences for the shape, length, width and color of the veneers and the change in the appearance of your smile that you want them to create, you help ensure that your treatment will meet your expectations. It is important that your dentist understands your objectives during your veneer consultation.

The dental veneer procedure can often be completed in two visits over the course of six weeks. The visits are comprehensive and may require several hours of examination and tooth preparation. The diagnostic and examination phase of treatment is essential and identifies any oral health concerns that must first be addressed before veneer placement. Your dentist in Balwyn also will work with you to select the best tooth color for you from a special shade chart. Imaging technologies can provide you with a preview of your expected results, and before and after images can allow you to view other successful cases. Treatment begins when the examination is completed and the customized plan designed.

There are several steps in the procedure. First, your dentist at Beautiful Smile will likely administer a local anesthetic so you will be comfortable during tooth preparation and placement of the veneer. Your natural tooth is then prepared by minimally reshaping it with a small handheld rotational cutting device called a bur to provide the best fit. Burs come in various shapes and sizes and allow precise and minimal shaping of a tooth prior to placement.

If your treatment involves direct composite resin veneers, your dentist then will apply the appropriately shaded composite to your teeth, shape the material and harden it using a high intensity light. Additional layers of composite may be applied to build the veneer to the correct shape, length and form for your smile. When all composite is placed, the veneers will be finished and polished using burs and polishers to create a vital and lifelike smile.

If your treatment requires porcelain veneers, your dentist will make an impression of your teeth from which a mold of your mouth will be made. This impression may be sent to an outside dental laboratory where the veneers will be professionally fabricated.

The porcelain systems we have today are technologically much different than they were in the past. You may have seen veneers that remind you of Chiclets. That look is indicative of old-school dentistry, where very opaque and monochromatic porcelain was used, OR it was a porcelain crown fused to metal. The advanced technology we have today produces veneers that are:

• Stronger
• More translucent, like your natural teeth
• Super thin
• The best option for creating a beautiful, natural smile!

No, porcelain veneers do not ruin your natural teeth! In fact, they are designed to fit over your teeth and enhance their naturally beautiful appearance. The first step to understanding that veneers do not hurt or ruin your real teeth is to understand how they work. When you meet with one of our cosmetic dentists for porcelain veneers, we have your veneers custom designed to fit your exact smile. Whether you are in for one veneer or for your whole smile, your new veneers are designed and fabricated for a custom, perfect fit. Veneers are attached to your natural teeth with a special material that hardens under a certain type of light. After they are bonded to your teeth, they are shaped and polished by our cosmetic dentist until they are absolutely perfect!