Veneers & Laminates
Porcelain Veneers are a rapid, aesthetic, and safe way to correct unattractive front teeth. Porcelain veneers correct heavy permanent stains, teeth that are crooked, disproportionate, small (with spaces), and structurally damaged. Porcelain veneers are shells of ceramic material that can be chemically bonded to tooth structure. Porcelain veneer technique utilizes the bonding capability of these materials to securely attach a thin shell of porcelain (the porcelain veneer) to a tooth. Although porcelain is inherently brittle, when it is firmly bonded to a sturdy substructure (a tooth) it becomes very strong and durable.
Laminates are most easily described as a "fingernail" of porcelain that is bonded onto the tooth surface. If you have a chipped tooth or your teeth have a lot of spaces in between them laminates could be a treatment of choice. The teeth need to be prepared slightly in preparation for a laminate and then it is fabricated in the dental laboratory to custom match the adjacent teeth.