Composite and ceramic veneers – an aesthetic solution with multiple advantages
If you want to change or improve the appearance, color or shape of your front teeth, veneers are a great solution. A non-invasive, painless and quick procedure, in recent years it is increasingly becoming one of the most common interventions in dental clinics.
What are facets and what types are there?
In contrast to crowns, which are placed on the entire chipped tooth, veneers are restorations that are adapted to the front teeth, in order to change the inappropriate aesthetics, i.e. their color or shape. In cases where you are not satisfied with any of these factors, it is possible, if there is an indication, to place veneers on the teeth. The difference from classic crowns is that the veneers do not require, or in the case of zirconium veneers, the tooth needs to be ground very little and only on its front side. A veneer does not cover the entire tooth and saves more tooth substance than a crown. However, it is sometimes indicated and desirable to make complete crowns, in order to compensate for missing teeth or to preserve those that are being ground. Therefore, before any intervention, a detailed examination and an individual approach are required, in order to find the right solution for your case and the condition of your teeth.
These restorations can be composite or ceramic, and in addition to the basic difference in the material used for production, the difference is in the length of production and the aesthetics we get.
In which cases are veneers placed?
In order to set this type of compensation, there must be a suitable indication. Veneers are purely an aesthetic procedure - they do not correct functionality or bite, so you need to have your own, natural teeth and that they are completely healthy, without cavities, gum inflammation or large fillings. Cases in which they are indicated are:
Inappropriate color - if the teeth, or one of them, have changed color due to long-term consumption of colored drinks, cigarettes or wine, veneers can be used to correct the color, which will satisfy the aesthetics and fit into the appearance of the neighboring teeth. If the tooth has darkened after the treatment process, the indication for a veneer depends on the degree of discolouration – since these are very thin restorations, very dark teeth are still destined for a full crown. Certainly, if the teeth have not changed color due to the above factors, but you are not satisfied with the shade or would like it to be lighter, veneers are a great choice in this case as well.
Abrasion of the teeth - if the edges of the front teeth are worn away, and they have lost their length, veneers are an excellent choice to extend the clinical crown and give the teeth a more beautiful appearance.
Closing the diastema - if you are not a fan of the diastema, that is, the gap between the teeth, they can be closed very easily with veneers that will fill that space and bring the teeth into contact. Here, it is very important to find out the cause of the diastema - between the upper incisors, it is very often the frenulum of the lip that "pulls" the teeth and leads to separation, so before any intervention, it is necessary to solve this problem first in order to avoid recurrence.
Fracture and injury to a tooth - if a tooth is injured, the dental substance can be compensated with an ordinary composite filling if the situation becomes painful, however, it can often happen, especially if the injury is more extensive, that such a filling cannot be completely integrated with the rest of the tooth, which it does not give good aesthetics. In that case, it is better to adapt the veneer to the entire tooth.
What are the differences?
The first and basic difference is in the type of material used, and the method of production, adaptation and aesthetics also depend on that. Ceramic veneers are made from the same material used to make metal-free zirconium crowns, which means they transmit light and thus imitate a natural tooth, so they are preferred when it comes to aesthetics. Of course, composite veneers, thanks to increasingly modern materials and a large selection of colors as well as composites produced exclusively for the production of these types of restorations, also satisfy aesthetics and look really beautiful.
In addition to the material, there is also a difference in the method and length of production. Composite veneers are finished in one visit - there is no sanding or taking an impression, because they are adapted to the front surface of the teeth and are adjusted in color and shape in order to correct the irregularities for which they are made.
With ceramic/zirconia veneers, the front surface of the tooth needs to be ground down minimally to make room for the veneer. After grinding, an impression is taken and they are made in the laboratory, and you get them at the next visit. Therefore, the length of making zirconium veneers is slightly longer than that of composite veneers.
Another difference is in the durability and length of the compensation. Composite veneers are given a shelf life of 5 to 6 years, while zirconium veneers, which are cemented to the front surface of the teeth, can last almost twice as long, with proper and detailed hygiene of both teeth and gums. Composite veneers tend to change color over time, due to the consumption of dark drinks and food, but their correction and polishing are very easy to do, thus restoring their old shine and color. Metal-free ceramic, i.e. zirconium, is very resistant to discoloration and to a large extent imitates a natural tooth, transmitting and reflecting light, and in this way, not only the teeth, but also the face get a new freshness and a more beautiful appearance.
Maintenance of facets
Your dentist will do his best to make your restoration look fantastic and give you exactly the change you wanted, but in order to maintain the achieved effect, you must take care of veneers, just like any other restoration, and maintain hygiene, with regular dental check-ups. A soft brush, dental floss and interdental brushes are the basis for proper hygiene, and when you add to that regular check-ups every 6 months, the durability and beauty of veneers is guaranteed.
The device that I always recommend to my patients, whether they have veneers, crowns or need more detailed hygiene due to anxiety or rotated teeth, is the oral shower. It is a device that uses water, or another liquid, depending on what your dentist recommends, for flawless hygiene of the interdental spaces and the entire oral cavity under water pressure, and it is proven to reduce the amount of plaque and reduce gum inflammation.
What are the advantages of veneers and why should you decide on this intervention?
The biggest advantage of veneers is that a large surface of the tooth is not ground, so tooth substance is saved to a large extent. This does not mean that grinding the entire crown is bad, on the contrary, if it is indicated, it can certainly be an intervention that will save the tooth, but with the appearance of veneers, we got the opportunity to do aesthetic corrections of teeth that do not require grinding, and with this treatment they get a big change the way you want it.
Zirconium or metal-free veneers are very thin and have all the properties of zirconium, which is also used in the production of full crowns, which means that they transmit light and give the crown transparency, which achieves naturalness and superior aesthetics. Zirconium is also a biocompatible material, it adapts very well to the gums and has hypoallergenic properties, which makes it ideal for any type of restoration that comes into contact with the gingiva.
In recent years, composites intended exclusively for veneers have been put into use, which gives a natural look and adaptation to the adjacent teeth and fully satisfies the aesthetics.
A consultation with a dentist according to your wishes, a detailed therapy plan and a comprehensive approach with a detailed analysis of the condition of your teeth and gums is the most ideal way to find a solution for yourself and be completely satisfied with the change.
