Dental veneers are a form of restoration that is used to protect individual teeth and improve the shape, size, position and general appearance of teeth.
They are extremely thin covers that are bonded onto teeth, typically on upper and lower anterior teeth but sometimes on posterior teeth if a wider smile is desired.
In most cases a very small amount of tooth structure must be removed to create space to accommodate the veneer material. This is usually 0.5mm or less, often contacts between teeth don’t need to be broken in order to place veneers.
They are all made out of ceramic but different types of ceramics may be chosen depending on the properties required. Lithium disilicate is a popular choice for its excellent combination of optical properties and strength. Porcelain veneers provide the best aesthetics with the most natural balance of translucency and transparency and finally zirconia may be preferred for its high strength and chip resistance.
The shade, shape and position of the veneers can all be chosen with bespoke veneers, careful consideration is taken to ensure the veneers look natural, life like and age appropriate. It is most definitely not a one size fits all solution!
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