What are dental veneers?
The dental veneers, laminates or dental contact lens as they are also known, are thin coating layers of an aesthetic material, usually with high strength, designed and customized for each person, which are bonded and cover the entire front surface of visible teeth when we smile.
By placing dental veneers it is possible to completely change our smile and quite easily. We were able to quickly change the color, shape, orientation and length of the teeth.
There are many different materials that can be used in the manufacture of veneers (tooth covers), but generally they fall into one of these three groups: Ceramic / Porcelain Veneers, Composite Resin Veneers and Ceramic Fragments.
Types of Dental Veneers
Porcelain / ceramics are the ideal materials whenever we talk about improving dental appearance, thanks to theirs excellent optical properties and color stability over time. Porcelain / ceramic veneers are therefore the first choice when there's a big problem or a great aesthetic demand.
This type of restoration is only done by indirect method, which means that the ceramic pieces are made in a dental laboratory, after a definitive impression of the teeth is done in the clinic. Only in a second appointment the veneers are bonded to the prepared teeth. In between, provisional veneers are used.
Compared to others, this group of laminates has longer longevity, maintains the original color over time and has a much more harmonious appearance, very similar to natural teeth. However, they tend to be more expensive.
Composite resin veneers represent a good, and more economical, alternative to porcelain (ceramic) veneers.
These type of veneers can be done indirectly, as the group described above, but also as direct restorations without requiring laboratory assistance.
Although they can't mimic natural dentition as good as ceramics, composite resin veneers have quite good results, if periodic maintenance is performed. Due to its structure and composition, composite resin can get stained/pigmented over time and get chipped more easily.
Partial veneers, also called ceramic fragments, are ultra-thin pieces, with clinical indication only under very specific conditions.
They appeared on the dentistry world due to the advance and development of minimally invasive procedures and this is their biggest advantage. However, this type of indirect restorations is very sensitive because of their small thickness, which increases the risk of ceramic fracture and detaching.
Top Reasons to Put Dental Veneers :
- darkened teeth;
- crooked teeth;
- misaligned teeth;
- chipped or broken teeth;
- space or gap between teeth (close diastema).
Placing dental veneers is a procedure often performed at the end of orthodontic treatments (dental braces) to improve the aesthetic appearance of the smile.
Before starting this type of aesthetic dentistry hygiene and health procedures should be done, such as scaling and root planning and treatment of dental cavities.
Advantages of placing Dental Veneers :
The most obvious advantages of getting dental veneers or dental laminates are:
- correction/improvement of stained teeth or unfavorable dental shapes;
- the newest dental materials perfectly mimic the appearance of natural teeth - in addition they are stain resistant and never change color;
- the veneer color is chosen having in consideration the remaining dentition, giving, when possible, preference to a whiter value;
- is a very conservative treatment thanks to the very small thickness new veneer materials provide.
Placing dental veneers will change your smile, increasing your confidence and self esteem . As a result, it will greatly improve your quality of life at a professional, social, family and personal level.
See some of our clinical cases of dental veneers - before and after - in below.
Dental Veneers Results: Before and After
This technique of placing dental veneers allows you to "hide" or correct minor dental defects (cosmetic dentistry).
It is used to correct minor color changes (yellow teeth, stains, discolouration or darkening of enamel) and changes in tooth shape, as long as they are not too pronounced.
They can also be indicated for diastema closure, as seen in the picture.
How to put dental veneers? Know the treatment:
To perform this type of treatment and get dental veneers only 3 appointments are usually needed:
- The initial evaluation appointment for diagnosis and treatment plan elaboration;
- a second consultation to prepare the teeth and make dental impressions;
- the third and last appointment to place the final work.
The first consultation is fundamental for the dentist to know the patient's aesthetic expectations. Here, the clinician examines the case in detail and plans how to proceed to achieve the final goal.
The dentist's “clinical eye” and, especially, his professional experience in this type of work are crucial to tailor the final result to each individual person. For example, in a 60-year-old patient should not be done dental veneers that are too white and with incisal transparencies, that can only be seen in 30-year-olds.
Still talking only in terms of aesthetics, we must undoubtedly mention gum architecture. It makes no sense to improve teeth color, shape, orientation and length when we have a gum with a lower margin in one tooth and higher in the other.
In these situations, the priority is to make a "gum smile design", which can be done using different techniques, depending on the particular case. After healing of the gum, we proceed to the preparation of teeth for dental veneers.
How Long Does It Take To Put Dental Veneers On Teeth
Between the first appointment, of diagnosis and treatment planning, and the final one, of definitive bonding of veneers, it may take two to three weeks for the lab to “create” and “beautify”, with the utmost care in detail, each veneer.
At the last dental appointment, a trial is performed, ie the veneers are placed in the patient's teeth in a process called "veneer try-in". If both patient and dentist are satisfied with the result, the veneers are then cemented (bonded) in a permanent way to the teeth. After that, it is guaranteed that the occlusion (dental fitting) is completely harmonious and even.
Duration of Dental Veneers
The duration of dental veneers is something that is still difficult to determine these days. Although there are many success cases with more than 20 years of use, each case is unique and the survival of a veneer from person to person can oscillate widely. Good oral hygiene habits, the prepared tooth substrate and even the veneer placement procedure itself are some of the factors that can influence the veneer integrity time.
Dental Veneers Cleaning and Pigmentation
Despite coated, teeth to which veneers are bonded still have a remaining structure that require a daily oral hygiene and periodic control in the clinic, as caries and gum problems are still a possibility in these teeth. In addition, composite resin veneers may also require occasional polishing to remove pigments they may acquire.
Dental Veneers: Price
The cost for this type of treatment has a relatively wide range of values, varying that price according to: number of pieces/number of teeth to be covered, veneer material and technique performed.
The cost of placing veneers is not only related to the price for each veneer, but also to all the oral cleaning required to perform the treatment on each person, as well as the material chosen by the patient.
It is easy to understand the direct relation between the number of veneers and the cost of the treatment. However, what usually catches us off guard is that sometimes a problem of one tooth it's not possible to solve just with one laminate. In some cases, it may be necessary to place veneers on surrounding teeth and, especially when using ceramics, the value of a treatment may significantly increase the initially expected.
The chosen material is also a parameter that enhances the price ranges, as ceramics tend to be much more expensive than composite resin because of their higher strength and excellent aesthetic integration. Also, within the porcelain group, depending on the specific type of ceramics, there may be some variation. For example, feldspathic veneers, because they are extremely aesthetic and require very sensitive work by the lab technician who produces them, are usually the least affordable.
Cheapest Dental Veneers
Composite resin veneers tend to be the most economical, but have a less natural appearance and are less durable.
Regarding the technique, direct or indirect, only composite veneers have this distinction, since only composite resin can be manipulated to make a veneer directly on the patient's tooth. This method, as it does not include laboratory costs, is also more affordable for the patient.
FAQ: Dental Veneers Frequently Asked Questions
Get Dental Veneers in Lisbon at Clínica Mint
Schedule your initial evaluation appointment using the form below or call (+351) 211 552 308 (Call to the national fixed network)
Contact Us:
Other ways to book your appointment:
☎️ Phone: (+351) 211 552 308 (Call to the national fixed network)
📱 WhatsApp: (+351) 918 393 844 (Call to national mobile network)
✉️ E-mail: info@mint.pt
How to get to MINT Dental Clinic?
Our Clinic is located in central Lisbon, between Saldanha and El Corte Inglés.
Address: Av. Marquês de Tomar, 5 B, 1050-152 Lisboa, Portugal
To get to the clinic you can choose:
- Metro Saldanha (red or yellow line)
- Metro São Sebastião (blue line)
- Carris: 713, 716, 726, 742
- Aerobus Linha 1 (Saldanha)