Composite Veneers VS Porcelain Veneers

Composite Veneers vs. Porcelain Veneers

If you’re less than thrilled with the appearance of your smile, it’s ok. There are several cosmetic dentistry treatments available in Newport Beach, CA than can give you an aesthetically pleasing appearance! Two of the most popular procedures we offer are composite veneers (also known as bonding or same-day veneers), and porcelain veneers.

What Is A Composite Veneer?

A composite veneer is when we bond a composite resin to the front surface of your tooth in an effort to make its shape and color more appealing.

The composite bonding material that’s used in this procedure is a similar product as what we place when completing a tooth-colored filling. Bonding is available in several different shades, which allows us to specify your veneer’s exact color. Our skilled cosmetic dentist will mold and shape the composite in a way that will give you a more pleasant looking and uniform smile.

What Does a Composite Veneer Procedure Entail?

To begin, our Newport Beach cosmetic dentist will roughen the front surface of your tooth, and if needed, contour its shape.  The next few steps will consist of placing a few different prepping solutions on the treatment surface, ensuring that the area is cleaned, and ready to accept the bonding material.

After we’ve selected the best shade to use, we’ll place the composite resin over your tooth and mold it to the desired shape. Once we’re happy with the way it looks, we’ll shine a special light over the area to harden and cure the material in place. The final step is to smooth and polish your new composite veneer.

 Dental Bonding Pros and Cons

Dental bonding has several advantages. For starters, the cost of this procedure is as affordable as cosmetic dental treatments can get. They’re a great solution if you want immediate results. They’re also capable of repairing chips and filling in gaps between your teeth.

However, dental bonding can stain easily; so smoking and drinking a lot of dark liquids like red wine isn’t recommended.  The material can also chip off if you bite into something too hard, meaning you’ll have to get the bonding replaced. Since bonding isn’t the most durable of cosmetic treatment options, it’s best to limit it to just a couple of teeth and not a full set.  While there are different shades available to choose from, if you have an uncommon color, matching it can be difficult.

What Are Porcelain Veneers?

A traditional veneer is a thin shell of porcelain that’s thin and contoured, much like an artificial fingernail would be.  It’s cemented over the front side of your front teeth, hiding the healthy smile behind them.

Veneers slightly overlap to the edges of your teeth, allowing them to stay in place and hide the margins better. Unlike composite veneers, porcelain veneers are custom designed and fabricated at a dental laboratory.

Like same-day veneers, they’re used to alter the size, shape, and shade of your natural teeth.

What Is the Process of Getting Porcelain Veneers?

Getting porcelain veneers is a multi-step treatment. During the prepping procedure, our Newport Beach cosmetic dentist will need to make room for the restorations to be placed over your teeth.  To do this, we’ll reduce the front and edges of each tooth. After this stage is complete, we’ll either take some impressions of your teeth or scan them using a 3-D camera to show us a digital replica of your smile. The impressions or digital replicas get sent to our dental laboratory, along with our design instructions (such as color and size specifications,) where your custom veneers are made.  Since it’ll be a couple of weeks before they’re ready, we’ll make you some temporary veneers to wear in the meantime.

When you return to get your permanent veneers on, we’ll remove your temporaries and try on the porcelain veneers.  If everything meets the expectations of you and our Newport Beach dentist, then we will attach them with a permanent bonding agent.

Porcelain Veneers Pros and Cons

Porcelain veneers are stronger than composite veneers, so they’ll work better if you’re looking to improve the appearance of several teeth. While porcelain teeth will still need to be replaced, they last a lot longer than composite veneers. They also don’t stain as much. As far as shade goes, custom-designed porcelain veneers can be specified to match any color or hue. The material also reflects light very well, which means they look as natural as your very own teeth.

Unfortunately, porcelain veneers can’t be used to repair teeth that are badly broken and weak. They also come with a higher price tag than same-day veneers. Though porcelain veneers are more durable than bonding, they can still break if you tend to clench and grind your teeth regularly.

Visit Our Cosmetic Dentist in Newport Beach, CA

If you’ve been considering a smile makeover and aren’t sure which type of veneers are right for you, call The Center For Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry to schedule a consultation with Dr. Yazdan.  You’ll be glad you did!

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