Studio Dentistry provides a wide range of aesthetic, implant, and restorative dental services. When we feel your best interests are served by a dental or medical specialist, we will help arrange those services for you. If you are a seasonal resident or visitor to the desert, we are happy to coordinate treatment with your hometown dentist.
Ceramic Veneers
Ceramic veneers, which include Lumineers, ultra-thin veneers, pressed ceramic veneers (Empress Veneers, MAC Veneers and others) and feldspathic veneers (including DaVinci Veneers, Willi Geller's Creation Veneers, Design Veneers and others) are an increasingly popular dental service. Veneers are used to reshape teeth, fill spaces between teeth, straighten teeth and whiten smiles.
Veneers are usually about the thickness of a fingernail. In some situations, veneers can be provided with little or no drilling on the natural teeth. That means no anesthetic and little chance for any discomfort during or following the procedure. These are detailed below. There are advantages to preparing the teeth, however. Dr. Strain discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of veneers with his patients and decisions are made based upon his evaluation and your goals.
Most expertly done veneers can be expected to last 10-20 years or more, depending on oral conditions, bite habits and home care. Very discriminating patients may wish to replace older veneers with newer materials simply for the outstanding esthetics that can be achieved by a talented dentist working together with a skilled ceramist.
No matter which veneer type is selected, Dr. Strain normally designs your new smile outside of the mouth first, either with digital imaging or with a diagnostic wax-up or both. This pre-planning is one of the keys to the success we have at Studio Dentistry.
Lumineers, DURAthin, Nano Veneers and other ultra-thin Veneers
Lumineers is the most extensively marketed and best recognized veneer name in dentistry. Lumineers by Cerinate have been available nearly 20 years. Like all veneer products, improvements have been made over time. Recently, additional "no preparation" ultra-thin veneers have been developed. DURAthin Veneers and Nano Veneers are two other trade names of popular ultra-thin veneers.
INDICATIONS & ADVANTAGES
- Filling spaces between teeth
- Lengthening teeth that are too short
- Whitening teeth
- No drilling and no sensitivity
- Less color (shade) control than other veneers
- For major color changes, these veneers will look more opaque than natural teeth
- Tooth reduction is necessary on mis-aligned teeth
- Weaker on biting edge than other veneers
- Tooth reduction is necessary for lower front teeth if these teeth are already in contact with upper teeth
- May feel too bulky
- Used to straighten, lengthen, whiten or repair natural teeth
- Can achieve very natural translucency and fluorescence.
- May be characterized easily
- The most color stable veneer
- May be re-contoured and polished in the mouth
- Harder than natural teeth
- Easier to mask discolored teeth
- Easier to develop anatomy from a wax pattern
- Less metamerism (colors don't change as much in varying lights)
- Wear is compatible with teeth
- Base colors are more translucent
- Stronger when teeth need to be lengthened
- Less likely to chip prior to insertion
LIMITATIONS or DISADVANTAGES
Feldspathic Porcelain Veneers - d.Sign, Ceramco Colorlogic, Creation, et al
Feldspathic veneers have a long history of use and success. Ceramco Colorlogic, d.Sign, Noritake, and Creation Veneers are all different formulations of porcelain powders to achieve natural appearance. Ceramic artists use these porcelains in a layering technique and then fire the porcelain to achieve density and natural fluorescence, translucency and reflectance. With adequate tooth preparation, these are some of the most flexible materials at fooling the eye into thinking they are natural teeth. Internal colorations and crazing can be achieved by a skilled ceramist. These veneers are a great choice when matching other full ceramic restorations or for single tooth restorations, particularly when there is considerable characterization in adjacent teeth.
INDICATIONS & ADVANTAGES
LIMITATIONS & DISADVANTAGES
Pressed Ceramic Veneers - Empress, Ceramco Colorlogic, Creation, et al
Pressed ceramic veneers are currently one of the most popular choices in veneers. The most common types of veneers used by accreditation candidates with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry are pressed ceramic veneers. These veneers are particularly popular for larger cases (six or more veneers). They are made from a waxed pattern, then they may be cut back and layered or stained.
INDICATIONS & ADVANTAGES
LIMITATIONS & CONTRAINDICATIONS
- More difficult to characterize
- Hard to polish in the mouth
CAD-CAM Veneers
It is now possible to have a veneer designed and cut my a computerized machine. Because these veneers must be cut from solid blocks of material, the color possibilities are not currently capable to meet Dr. Strain's demands.
Direct Veneers
Direct veneers are made directly in the mouth, utilizing composite resin materials. A skilled dentist can make direct resin veneers that look fantastic following placement. These veneers are most commmonly place in younger people who cannot afford ceramic veneers. Their primary limitations are related to surface wear and discoloration over time.
INDICATIONS & ADVANTAGES
LIMITATIONS & CONTRAINDICATIONS
- More difficult to characterize
- Surface loses shine over time
- May discolor with time \
- Less durable than other veneers
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One 11 Plaza
71-703 Highway 111, Suite 2B, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
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