Ellen Lim, DDS

Veneers from Ellen Lim, DDS

Serving Houston, TX

Teeth that are badly stained, shaped or crooked may be improved by a veneer placed on the surface of the affected teeth.

Veneers are thin pieces of porcelain or plastic cemented over the front of your teeth to change their color or shape. Veneers are used on teeth with uneven surfaces or are chipped, discolored, oddly shaped, unevenly spaced or crooked. Little or no anesthesia is needed. Veneers have a longer life expectancy and color stability than bonding, and highly resist permanent staining from coffee, tea, or even cigarette smoking. Dr. Lim is a houston dentist and has over twenty years experience with veneers.

What Makes Porcelain Veneers Without the Drill Different

Dentistry is traditionally rooted on the idea that the teeth can function and look better through the intervention of restorative techniques. Since it usually requires the addition of foreign materials into the teeth, the original material often needs to be lessened in size to make space. Another reason for conducting this is that the teeth may already be damaged from wear and tear or decay.

However, there is a developed technique that allows for restoration to happen without resizing the teeth. Fast gaining in popularity, it defies the earlier notion that a lot of preparatory work must be done before aesthetic changes can be done to the teeth.

The use of porcelain veneers without drilling is applicable in some cases. For example, some people already have small teeth to begin with. This could be caused by genetics, spacing between the teeth, or even natural erosion from the food and drinks consumed over a lifetime. On the opposite end, these types of veneers will not work when the teeth cause dysfunctional bites or are positioned based on improper root placements. Porcelain veneers that are placed without the use of a drill cannot move the teeth into the desired place.

One of the biggest advantages of porcelain veneers without the drill is that the procedure can be reversed. Unlike when the teeth are drilled, the size is permanently altered. Although the removal of the no-prep veneers can be time-consuming, it can be done. There is no reversal when it comes to the effects of the veneers that were placed after drilling since the teeth are altered.

In addition to being reversible, porcelain veneers without the drill can also be tested before the patient commits to the change. This concept is a glaring example of how dentistry can merge science and art together. What happens is that the dentist designs handmade models of the veneers. The patient can then go for fittings and see how the veneers look and function. If there are necessary changes, then the dentist will make them. A patient can essentially get involved with the process of design and have an opinion on the size, shape, and even color of the final outcome. The difference of this process with traditional veneers, which also offer prototypes, the no-prep ones can be removed and tested without being invasive to the teeth of the patient.

It should be noted that there are some functions that no-prep veneers cannot accomplish. Unlike traditional veneers, they cannot repair damaged enamel or be used to make minor corrections in the positioning of the teeth. Veneers without the drill also have limited application to the lower teeth, since usually this portion of the mouth is crowded and does not provide enough space for the installation.

When considering getting porcelain veneers without the drill, it is important for the dentist to apply a strict criterion to see if the patient is a candidate for the procedure. The patient interested in getting no-prep veneers also has the responsibility of going to a reputable dentist, since the outcome of the veneers is largely dependent on the techniques and artistry of the dentist.

For dependable Houston TX dental services, visit our clinic or contact us for an appointment. Our Houston TX dentists are licensed and well-trained to perform various dental restorative procedures.

Technical details for houston veneers:

Veneers are usually made by a dental lab technician working from a model provided by your dentist. Veneers are usually irreversible because it`s necessary to remove a small amount of enamel from your teeth to accommodate the shell.

Porcelain veneers can mask undesirable defects, such as teeth stained by tetracycline, by an injury, or as a result of a root-canal procedure, and are ideal for masking discolored fillings in front teeth. Patients with gaps between their front teeth or teeth that are chipped or worn may consider porcelain veneers.

Typically, veneers entail at least three appointments: diagnosis and treatment planning, preparation, and bonding.

During the tooth preparation visit, usually lasting one to two hours, the teeth are lightly buffed to allow for the small added thickness of the veneer. Usually, about a half a millimeter of the tooth is removed, which may require a local anesthetic. During the same visit, a mold is taken of the teeth, and sent to the laboratory for the fabrication of the veneers.

During the final "bonding" visit, also about one or two hours, the veneers are placed on the tooth surface with water or glycerine on the teeth to check their fit and get a sense of the shade or color. While the veneers are resting on your teeth, they can be adjusted with various shades of cement to match the color of your teeth. To apply the veneer, the tooth is cleansed with specific chemicals to achieve a bond. Once a special cement is sandwiched between the veneer and tooth, a visible light beam, or laser, causes a catalyst to be released, hardening the cement.

During a two-week period of adjustment that follows, you may notice the change of size and shape in your teeth. It is important to brush and floss daily. After one or two weeks, you`ll return for a follow-up appointment. Porcelain veneers are reasonable facsimiles of natural teeth, not perfect replacements. It`s not uncommon to see slight variations in the color of porcelain veneers upon close inspection, as this occurs even in natural teeth.

For certain patients no preparation of the teeth may be necessary. Please see our specialties page for more information.

For more information on veneers in Houston, TX, from Ellen Lim, DDS call 713-850-9699 today!