London Bridge Dental Practice Blog » dental veneers

Are veneers a solution to cosmetic problems? A South east London dentist advises

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 04:29:07 +0000

Veneers were devised as a solution to cosmetic teeth problems; they are no good for teeth that are infected or seriously damaged says a South east London dentist. Gum disease cannot be cured or covered over by a veneer, but many other problems are solved by the use of conventional veneers. They are made for each tooth individually to ensure a good fitting, this is done by taking digital pictures of the rogue tooth and then scanning them into a computer, this information is then available in 3D to a dental technician who will make the veneer. They are made from a tough formula containing the clay Porcelain, this material is hard wearing, and can be colour coded so the veneer fits in with the other teeth around it. Your dentist will need to prepare the tooth first to accept the veneer; they do this by first taking off the enamel on the front. As the tooth is most likely damaged on the front, or discoloured, it makes little difference to the tooth. The thickness of the veneer will determine the amount taken off, but once it is taken off it never grows back. When the veneer wears out or becomes discoloured, it is easily replaced, but unless the tooth is lost entirely it can only be replaced by another veneer. The procedure is quite painless and all you`ll suffer is a little discomfort for a few days as your mouth and tooth get used to the new covering, it can be used normally after that.

Veneers can cover many teeth problems. By a South east London dentist

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 04:59:21 +0000

Many of us tend to think of veneers as the answer to cover up discoloured teeth, but they have a lot more going for them these days says a South east London dentist. Cracked teeth, a chipped tooth or even a misaligned tooth can all be covered by a veneer. Veneer design and technology has come a long way in the last few years alone, and they are still often the cheapest and most effective method of covering up embarrassing problems. The main types are Porcelain Veneers and Lumineers, with Porcelain Veneers being the ones that we are more familiar with. In order to have them fitted you have to have some enamel taken off the tooth, this amounts to about the same thickness as the veneer and it never grows back. They last from 5 to 15 years and then they are easily replaced with new ones; they discolour around the 10-15 year mark. They are very affective and the tooth can be used in the normal way, it is also kept clean in the usual manner and your usual visits to the dentist are still needed. With Lumineers the story is much different; they are made from a fairly new formula and are much harder wearing than conventional veneers. Because of this they can be made much thinner, the advantage here is that no enamel is taken off the tooth and the procedure is reversible in the future. They also last longer and it is estimated that they will last up to 20 years in most cases.

A South East London dentist explains what Lumineers are

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:18:29 +0000

Lumineers sound like they have something to do with brightness; as in the French word Luminiere which defines light. A South East London dentist says that the definition is spot on. Lumineers are to teeth what contact lenses are to eyes, they are a thin veneer that fit over the tooth as a contact lens fits over the eye. Unlike a veneer or a crown there is literally no reduction in the thickness of the tooth, a veneer and a crown both need some filing of the thickness of the tooth in order to make them fit properly. A lumineer is much thinner and the dentist needs to just roughen up the surface of the tooth in order to get a good contact with the dental cement. The pain level and the discomfort level are greatly reduced and so is the time you’ll sit in the dentist chair, the procedure is however much the same as a veneer and crown. A digital photo is taken of the tooth and then the lumineer is made very quickly, it is then just fitted like a false nail is fitted. The life span varies depending on how you care for it, but most dentists will gladly say it can last from 5 to 10 years, and they are reversible as well. In most cases they will not only take care of discoloured teeth, but they also solve the problem of misaligned teeth and gaps. Big gaps and strong misalignment will still need to be dealt with using more prolonged methods, Lumineers must be thought of as a cosmetic solution to smile problems. It is also a lot less expensive, and most people will qualify for this new age answer to the smile problem that plagues the life of a lot of people. Red wine drinkers and smokers are particularly prone to teeth discolour, and lumineers are the perfect answer.

Experience the dramatic effect of veneers at London SE1 dentist

admin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:55:18 +0000

A dental veneer is a specially designed ceramic shell that is cemented over the top of a tooth for either cosmetic or restorative purposes. Veneer technology has improved in recent years to the extent that they now appear incredibly lifelike and can be manufactured to be as thin as a contact lens to limit enamel damage.

In the past it was sometimes necessary to remove a certain amount of enamel from the tooth in order to accommodate the veneer. Because modern veneers are so thin they can be fitted over teeth in their existing condition, including teeth that have had previous dental repair work.

Once manufactured, veneers are fairly straightforward to fit using the adhesive power of dental bonding. This means that a set of veneers can completely change the cosmetic appearance of all your teeth in just one appointment. Many patients choose to use veneers to restore the appearance of discoloured or worn teeth. On other occasions, one or two veneers may be fitted to protect a chipped or broken tooth from further damage, acting as a protective layer. Some tooth damage can be repaired with composite resin alone, but if the crack is affecting the structure of the tooth, or if more than one tooth is damaged it may be better to use veneers.

Modern veneers are made form ceramic, usually porcelain and can be manufactured with the help of the latest computer technology available to London SE1 dentists. Veneers are capable of producing dramatic changes in patient’s smiles with only the minimum of effort or discomfort involved.