Family Dentist Offices in Chicago, Illinois

Porcelain Veneers Chicago

Our smile is the first thing people see. It instantly portrays your personality, self confidence, joy, and vitality. Does your smile say it all or are you embarrassed to smile at all? Nearly half of adults surveyed say they want a beautiful smile. Isn't it time to have the smile you deserve? In as little as three visits using the most advanced techniques in dentistry, we can give you the smile you have always wanted. With a combination of artistry and science, we will look at a client's eyes, lips, gum tissue, face shape, and lips to create a custom smile with porcelain veneers.

Dental veneers (sometimes called porcelain veneers or dental porcelain laminates) are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored material designed to cover the front surface of teeth to improve your appearance. These shells are bonded to the front of the teeth changing their color, shape, size or length.

Dental veneers can be made from porcelain or from resin composite materials. Porcelain veneers resist stains better than resin veneers and better mimic the light reflecting properties of natural teeth. Resin veneers are thinner and require removal of less of the tooth surface before placement. You will need to discuss the best choice of dental veneer material for you with your dentist.

What Types of Problems Do Dental Veneers Fix?

Porcelain Veneers are routinely used to fix:

• Teeth that are discolored - either because of root canal treatment; stains from tetracycline or other drugs, excessive fluoride or other causes; or the presence of large resin fillings that have discolored the tooth
• Teeth that are worn down
• Teeth that are chipped or broken
• Teeth that are misaligned, uneven, or irregularly shaped (for example, have craters or bulges in them)
• Teeth with gaps between them (to close the space between these teeth)

What's the Procedure for Getting a Dental Veneer?

The procedure usually requires three trips to the dentist - one for a consultation and two to make and apply the porcelain veneers. One tooth or many teeth can simultaneously undergo the veneering process described below.

• Diagnosis and treatment planning. This first step involves active participation between you and your dentist. Explain to your dentist the result that you are trying to achieve. During this appointment your dentist will examine your teeth to make sure porcelain veneers are appropriate for you and discuss what the procedure will involve and some of its limitations. He or she also may take X-rays and possibly make impressions of your mouth and teeth.
• Preparation. To prepare a tooth for a porcelain veneer, your dentist will remove about 1/2 millimeter of enamel from the tooth surface, which is an amount nearly equal to the thickness of the porcelain veneer to be added to the tooth surface. Before trimming off the enamel, you and your dentist will decide the need for a local anesthetic to numb the area. Next, your dentist will make a model or impression of your tooth. This model is sent out to a dental laboratory, which in turn constructs your porcelain veneer. It usually takes 1 to 2 weeks for your dentist to receive the porcelain veneers back from the laboratory. A temporary dental veneer will be placed at this appointment.
• Bonding. Before the porcelain veneer is permanently cemented to your tooth, your dentist will temporarily place it on your tooth to examine its fit and color. He or she will repeatedly remove and trim the porcelain veneer as needed to achieve the proper fit; the porcelain veneer color can be adjusted with the shade of cement to be used. Next, to prepare your tooth to receive the porcelain veneer, your tooth will be cleaned, polished and etched - which roughens the tooth to allow for a strong bonding process. A special cement is applied to the porcelain veneer and the porcelain veneer is then placed on your tooth. Once properly positioned on the tooth, your dentist will apply a special light beam to the porcelain veneer, which activates chemicals in the cement causing it to harden or cure very quickly. The final steps involve removing any excess cement, evaluating your bite and making any final adjustments in the porcelain veneer as necessary.
• Your dentist may ask you to return for a follow-up visit in a couple of weeks to check how your gums are responding to the presence of your porcelain veneer and to once again examine the porcelain veneer's placement.

Information from Web MD

Schedule an Appointment

• Name *
• Email *
• Phone
• Services Choose a Service Dental Cleaning Fillings Crowns Partials and Dentures Bridge Work Periodontal (Gum) Care Tooth Whitening Orthodontics (Braces and Retainers) Dental Implant Veneers Root Canal Pediatric (Child) Dentistry Lumineers Invisalign
• Location Choose a Location Northwestern Hyde Park Yorkville Lake Zurich
• Comments

Before & After Gallery

View More Images in Our Gallery

View Our Videos

Click to see all videos