Veneers: Composite Vs Porcelain
Dental veneers can be used as a cosmetic or restorative procedure. While there are different veneer materials to choose from, the most popular are porcelain veneers, but composite veneers can provide the smile enhancement you need, as well. Both types of veneers provide esthetically pleasing, durable options when choosing dental veneers.
Veneers
Veneer treatment is often a great option when you have more than one dental issue going on, such as if your tooth is chipped and discolored, but they are also used for the following:
- Misalignment
- To correct chips, cracks, fractures
- To cover craze lines, pits, or more
- To close spaces between teeth
- To lengthen teeth
- To change the shape and/or size of teeth
- To change the color your teeth
Composite
Composite veneers are a conservative treatment that is relatively quick and easy. The procedure consists of applying the resin in layers to the tooth and sculpting it accordingly. The most important advantage of composite resin veneers is that they are an additive process that need very little preparation and no removal of your natural tooth structure.
Porcelain
Porcelain veneer therapy involves removing some of the natural tooth structure from the front of your tooth to accommodate the thickness of the porcelain veneer. Impressions of your tooth are then taken and the porcelain veneers are fabricated in a dental lab which can take up to two weeks. The finished veneer is then permanently bonded to the front of your tooth. A major advantage of porcelain is resistance to staining and chipping.
While both materials are tinted to blend with your surrounding dentition, porcelain resembles natural teeth more than composite material due to its natural pearlescent and translucent nature.