San Diego: What are Porcelain Veneers?

Porcelain Veneers are also known as dental veneers or dental porcelain laminates. They are small, thin wafers of porcelain that are bonded to the outside of a tooth to provide cosmetic improvement to the smile. San Diego dentists use porcelain veneers to repair teeth that are worn, discolored, chipped, or cracked. Although porcelain is a brittle substance by nature, dentists have found that when it is bonded to the teeth, it becomes very strong and durable.

San Diego: What makes Porcelain Veneers Such a Popular Choice?

San Diego dentists love porcelain veneers because the porcelain is very much similar in appearance to real tooth enamel. When porcelain veneers are used in cosmetic or reconstructive dentistry, they match the other teeth in the mouth quite well, enhancing the overall appearance of the mouth even more. The enamel of teeth is actually not solid; it is actually translucent, and actually does allow light to pass through the tooth. When porcelain veneers first began to be used by San Diego dentists, the only bonding solutions that were available were not translucent, so even though the porcelain did in fact match the look of natural teeth well, when all was said and done, because of the bonding substance, the porcelain veneer tooth looked fake anyway.

San Diego: How Have Porcelain Veneers Improved Since Then?

The first several years using porcelain veneers was an experimental, less than perfect round of trials and errors. However, time has passed, and since porcelain veneers have a translucent look to them just like the teeth do, and now that there is translucent bonding material available to San Diego dentists, porcelain veneers blend in with the natural teeth perfectly and beautifully.

San Diego: Why Else do People Love Porcelain Veneers?

People usually receive porcelain veneers to improve the appearance of their teeth and smile. Traditionally, most substances that are used for cosmetic dentistry and reconstructive dentistry are, by nature, susceptible to staining and discoloration. However, porcelain is actually very much resistant to the discoloration and staining, making the dental improvements stay perfectly beautiful much longer than if another substance would have been used. Porcelain is, by nature, similar to glass, and just like glass is extremely resistant to things like coffee, tea, and other products and habits that stain the teeth. So smile, San Diego. Thanks to porcelain veneers, there is now plenty to smile about.