Are you curious about how your dentist might use modern cosmetic dentistry techniques to make changes with the appearance of your smile? If so take a look at our before-and-after makeover simulation picture sets. These are actual photographs people have sent in that we've edited so to illustrate the types of cosmetic changes a dentist and cosmetic dentistry techniques can make with a person's smile. A porcelain veneer is a thin shell of porcelain that is bonded onto the front surface of a tooth so to improve its cosmetic appearance. We review the process of placing porcelain veneers in detail on the pages of our Porcelain Veneer topic.
A porcelain veneer can be an excellent way to make a cosmetic change for a tooth. As compared to dental bonding, porcelain veneers usually look more natural and they resisting staining well. As a disadvantage however, porcelain veneers are usually more expensive and if used in the wrong application can be prone to breaking. Unlike dental bonding, if a porcelain veneer does break typically the whole veneer must be replaced. It usually cannot be patched or repaired. Dental crowns can be used to make the same type of major cosmetic changes for teeth that porcelain veneers can. However, unlike porcelain veneers which only cover over the front sides of teeth, dental crowns cup over and encase the entire aspect of a tooth that lies above the gum line. The pages of our Dental Crowns topic discuss this type of dental treatment in detail.
In comparison to porcelain veneers, dental crowns are stronger and more durable. But because making a dental crown involves trimming away a significant amount of tooth structure, they usually aren't the best choice for making a cosmetic change for a tooth unless the tooth also requires the non-cosmetic benefits that crowns can provide. Like porcelain veneers, there is typically a fair amount of cost involved when dental crowns are made.
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