Porcelain veneers were first introduced in 1903 in an article of Dental Cosmos. In the late thirties, they were used as provisional aesthetic modifications of upper front teeth. It was used by Hollywood actors, who used dental adhesives to keep them in place. Dental veneers have received a boom in the last two decades due to the development of reliable adhesive materials and techniques as well as stronger and more aesthetic veneer porcelains.
When designed and delivered properly, veneers can create unparalleled aesthetics, which no other dental material can mimic. They are are used to correct minor tooth alignment, enamel defects, diastemas, and to mask discolored and stained teeth. Aesthetic-Dentistry.com gives detailed descriptions of every dental condition that can be encountered and how porcelain veneers can correct them. Feel free to browse through these pages.
These porcelain laminates only lead to predictable and optimum results if handled by an experienced cosmetic dentist. Finding a dentist who is right for you is particularly challenging for anyone seeking a smile makeover, since every dentist claims to be experienced at the art of smile design. How do you really know? One way to determine the experience level of a particular dentist would be to find out how he or she is affiliated with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). While there are about 6,000 general members who attend meetings and pay their annual dues, only about 300 have passed the rigorous examination process of the AACD. Only dentists who passed this process successfully have earn the attribute "accredited" by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Hence, while no dentist can assume the status of "expert" in the field of Cosmetic Dentistry, the successful completion of the AACD accreditation indicates that a particular cosmetic dentist strives to be more competent and to be cutting edge, clinically and technically.
Dental veneers may be contraindicated in patients with tooth wear as a result of bruxism or pre-existing large restorations.
They are always bonded to tooth structure. They are the most important tool for cosmetic dentists. Studies have shown that etched and silanated porcelain, in combination with resin cement, has excellent bond strength and resistance to fracture. Etched porcelains bonded with a composite resin adhesive have the strength necessary to hold veneers permanently in place.
The development of new adhesion techniques and porcelains have enabled the dental professional to successfully adhere dissimilar materials to each other. The bonding between a porcelain veneer and the tooth is often so strong that a trauma fractures the tooth and not the interface at the porcelain.
For more information please go to our clinical porcelain veneer page.