Porcelain veneers are the premiere dental restoration available today. To provide “movie star smiles,” cosmetic dentists like Dr. Fred Arnold recommend porcelain veneers to his patients. Chips, cracks, misalignment, discoloration can all be corrected with state of the art dentistry and porcelain veneers.

What are Porcelain Veneers?

Porcelain veneers, also known as porcelain laminates, are thin shells of porcelain applied to the front of the teeth to hide imperfections. At the Cosmetic Dentistry Center, our master ceramist Mike Morris, CDT, AAACD, creates the dental “masterpieces.”

Veneers can also be made of composite resin reinforced with quartz and are called direct veneers. Veneers are most commonly used on the upper front teeth, but can also be used on the lower and back teeth. Veneers are usually placed on the teeth in sets - this allows for a more even-looking smile. Individual teeth can be veneered; it just may be more difficult to match the natural color of the teeth.

Candidates for Porcelain Veneers

Candidates for porcelain veneers should have strong, healthy teeth. People who fit this description and have the following imperfections may want to consider veneers:

Stained or discolored teeth
Irregularly shaped teeth
Misaligned teeth
Gaps between the teeth
Chipped or worn teeth

The Porcelain Veneer Procedure

The first visit to our office will consist of an exam to make sure that porcelain veneers are the right choice. During this visit, Dr. Arnold will listen to the patient’s goals, take records, facial measurements, impressions, x-rays, diagnostic photographs and create a smile design that is unique for that patient.
The second office visit is used to prepare the teeth for the porcelain veneers. The teeth are recontoured to make room for the thin veneers.

After the teeth have been prepared, Dr. Arnold will take an impression of the teeth, which will be used to make the veneers. Beautiful temporary veneers are made for the patient to wear while the permanent veneers are being fabricated. It will take approximately two to three weeks for the veneers to be individually handcrafted in our in-house lab.

The final office visit is scheduled in order to apply the porcelain veneers to the teeth. The teeth will be cleaned and the veneers will be bonded to the teeth with bonding cement. The cement is then hardened with a blue light (a process known as curing).

Cost of Porcelain Veneers

The cost of porcelain veneers varies depending on how many veneers are applied to the teeth and the area of the country in which the procedure is performed. The average ranges between $950 and $2000 per tooth.