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Have whitening treatments been ineffective for enhancing your smile? Do you have undesirable defects or contours in your smile that you would like to be altered? Dental veneers are a cosmetic dentistry procedure in which a shell or layer of tooth colored porcelain or composite is placed over the facial surfaces of your teeth to correct worn enamel, uneven tooth alignment or spacing, discoloration and chips or cracks. Veneers allow you to gain an improvement in the appearance of your smile, and often require little to no removal of tooth structure compared to invasive dental crowns. With recent advances in technology, achieving a straight, bright smile is easier than ever before. CEREC veneers can be placed in one simple visit to give you the smile you have always desired. Cosmetic Veneers: Uses and Materials Two of the most common materials used to create dental veneers are composite resin and porcelain. Porcelain veneers and composite veneers are made by a dental technician in a dental laboratory while other composite veneers (direct) are made by your dentist during your appointment in the office. Porcelain veneers are more appropriate solutions for severe cases involving dullness, wear, discoloration, extensive chipping, cracking, spacing or uneven teeth. Regardless of what causes your damaged, flawed teeth, dental veneers may solve most, if not all, of your cosmetic dental issues. This may include discolored teeth, as over time, the thin, hard, translucent substance covering your teeth may become worn and dull. This can be a natural progression or a result of genetic predisposition. Not only do veneers make your teeth "look good," but they can also serve a functional purpose. They can provide a protective cover for damaged teeth, which is similar to the way that dental crowns can protect damaged teeth. The advantage of using veneers over crowns is that very little tooth structure needs to be removed or drilled away. Veneers can even help with tooth sensitivity where the enamel has worn away. CEREC Veneers Typically, veneers require at least three appointments: diagnosis and treatment planning, preparation, and bonding. However, with CEREC, your veneers can be completed in as little as one visit. CEREC allows your dentist to design and fabricate, customize and deliver your restoration while you watch using advanced CAD/CIM technology. The process for CEREC veneers will begin with your dentist using a small camera to take photos of your tooth. The picture of the tooth appears in 3-D on a computer screen. From here, your dentist will design the veneer on-screen to make it exactly the right shape and size. Following the initial design phase, the veneer is then milled out of a solid block of dental ceramic. This fabrication only takes about 10 minutes to be completed, so it won't be necessary to make multiple appointments. CEREC veneer advantages include: * No conventional molds or impressions
* Everything is completed in office with no laboratory work needed
* No need for a temporary veneer
* Only one appointment needed If you are unhappy with how your smile has faded over the years, veneers might be the right solution for you. Visit your Ellicott City dentist today for further assessment and treatment of your smile. Restoring your smile is easy with dental veneers.
Dr. Ray Becker, dentist in Columbia, MD, is a solo practitioner and has been practicing in Howard County since 1987. He specializes in cosmetics and comprehensive care in a general practice environment. Dr. Becker, Columbia, MD dentist is also one of the first users of CEREC all ceramic, one visit crowns.
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