VENEERS & BONDING

VENEERS & BONDING

A Veneer’s Porcelain Surface is Extremely Resistant to Stains


About half a millimeter of enamel is contoured off the front side of the tooth. A porcelain tooth-like shell called a dental veneer is designed to cover the tooth. Once the color and shape of the veneer is confirmed the veneer is permanently bonded to the tooth.

BOOK A FREE CONSULTATION
At Third Street Dental we understand how important building a new smile means to you. That is why your North Vancouver dentist Dr. Ho takes the time to ensure the color and shape of your veneers are a perfect match. Let us help you along the road to a confident smile.

WHAT ARE PORCELAIN VENEERS?

Porcelain veneers, alternatively termed dental veneers or dental porcelain laminates, are wafer-thin shells of porcelain that are bonded onto the front of compromised teeth. Dental veneers create cosmetic and functional improvements to teeth that are discolored, worn, chipped and or misaligned.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF PORCELAIN VENEERS?

  • Dental veneers are extremely stain resistant.
  • When a veneer is bonded onto a tooth’s surface it closely mimics the light handling characteristics of dental enamel thus they look like real teeth.
  • Veneers can be custom designed to compensate for missing or misaligned teeth.

WHAT IS THE PORCELAIN VENEER TREATMENT PROCEDURE?

About half a millimeter of enamel from the tooth surface will be removed, which is an amount equal to the thickness of the veneer to be added to the tooth surface. Dr. Ho will then make a model or impression of your tooth.

Dr. Ho will evaluate your existing teeth and create a design to best complement your smile and bite. He will send this design and the impression to a professional dental laboratory technician, who will custom make your veneer. During which time Dr. Ho will place a temporary natural-looking filling on your tooth.

Once your custom veneer is ready, Dr. Ho will fit the veneer onto your tooth surface to confirm that the veneer is the perfect color and shape for your smile.

A special cement is applied and the veneer is placed on your tooth. Once properly positioned, Dr. Ho will apply a special light beam to the dental veneer. This activates chemicals in the cement causing it to harden and bond very quickly.

The final steps involve removing any excess cement, evaluating your bite and making any final adjustments to the veneer as necessary. Dr. Ho may ask you to return in a couple of weeks to follow up on your beautiful new smile.

WHAT IS BONDING?

Bonding is the application of a tooth-colored composite resin (hard plastic) to repair decayed, chipped, fractured or discolored teeth. Unlike veneers, which are manufactured offsite in a laboratory and require a customized mold to achieve a proper fit, bonding can be done in a single visit. This procedure is called bonding because the white material bonds to the tooth. Dental bonding is not as strong and does not last as long as veneers. However, they are considered permanent restorations and they will give you an idea of how your teeth might look if you decide to get dental veneers in the future.

WHAT ARE WHITE FILLINGS?

White fillings are made of tooth color resins that are designed to chemically bond to your enamel. Metal fillings, also known as amalgam or mercury fillings, on the other hand do not bond to tooth structure. For metal filling to stay in place we often have to remove more tooth structure to create “seats” that the metal fillings fit into. We typically removed less tooth material for white fillings. They are very strong and will bond to your teeth and thus hold the tooth together better than metal fillings. White fillings also come in a variety of shades thus making it possible for Dentists to choose one that closely mimics your natural teeth.

HOW CAN I FIX A TOOTH GAP (DIASTEMA) WITH BONDING?

Dentists use the term “diastema” to refer to a space (gap) that lies between two teeth. Tooth bonding and dental veneers provide ways we can “close” (fill in) the diastema. They are placed on the two teeth that lie on each side of the gap to reduce the gap’s overall width. Depending on the size of the gap, Dr. Ho and the patient will decide on the correct proportions to completely or partially close the diastema.

Book a consultation with Dr. Ho at Third Street Dental in North Vancouver.
Share by: