Veneers Terminology

Types of Veneers

• Porcelain Veneers: Thin shells of porcelain that are custom-made to fit over the front surface of your teeth.
• Composite Veneers: Made from a tooth-colored resin material and applied directly to the teeth.
• No-Prep Veneers: Require little to no preparation of the natural tooth structure before placement.

Reasons for Veneers

• Chipped or Broken Teeth: To repair minor chips or cracks in teeth.
• Discolored Teeth: To mask stains or discoloration that doesn’t respond to whitening.
• Gaps Between Teeth (Diastema): To close spaces between teeth.
• Misshapen Teeth: To improve the shape or size of teeth.
• Slightly Crooked Teeth: To improve the alignment of mildly crooked teeth.
• Worn-Down Teeth: To restore teeth that have been worn down due to grinding or age.

Veneer Procedures

• Bonding: The process of attaching the veneer to the tooth using a special dental cement.
• Etching: Applying an acidic solution to prepare the tooth surface for bonding.
• Impression: A mold taken of the prepared tooth to create a custom-made veneer.
• Preparation (for Traditional Veneers): Removing a small amount of enamel from the tooth surface to make space for the veneer.
• Temporary Veneers: Veneers worn while the permanent veneers are being made.

Related Terms

• Composite Bonding: Using composite resin to repair minor chips or cracks in teeth.
• Enamel: The hard, outer layer of the tooth.
• Lumineers: A brand of no-prep veneers.
• Smile Design: The process of planning and creating an aesthetically pleasing smile.
• Wax-up: A model of the proposed veneer placement, used for planning and visualization.