Porcelain veneers are very thin layers of medical-grade ceramic that are custom-made to bond to the front surfaces of a tooth in order to change its color, shape, size, or position. Porcelain veneers allow you to repair damaged or discolored teeth by extracting a minimal amount of enamel from the front surface of a tooth – about 0.5mm – to create room to attach the veneer.

The ceramic material used is tooth-colored, which gives the repaired tooth a similar appearance to your natural teeth, which is one of the reasons why porcelain veneers are so popular as a cosmetic dental restoration solution to improve your smile. You can easily find a shade of porcelain that closely corresponds to the color of your natural teeth for life-like dental restoration. Alternatively, you can use porcelain veneers to brighten your smile by choosing a whiter shade, with a different value of chroma.

The right candidate for porcelain veneers?
People with poor teeth shape or contours, severe tooth discoloration, small to medium gaps between teeth, and minor bite and tooth position imperfections can benefit from the placement of veneers. Even patients with worn teeth, due to grinding and clenching, can witness a dramatic improvement in their smile with porcelain veneers.

However, there are certain conditions that must be met to ensure a successful procedure:

Your teeth are slightly to moderately crooked or misaligned
Your teeth have sufficient tooth structures – to allow for the removal of some of the enamel to create room to bond the veneers properly to the underlying tooth
You should have symmetrical gum contours to allow for the proper “framing” of your teeth. This is necessary to attain a beautiful cosmetic result.

Cases involving large discrepancies in tooth position, severely misaligned bite, or even poor profile may require additional procedures, such as orthodontics, so it’s important to discuss the best treatment plan with your dentist before any work begins.