If you've ever wondered why so many individuals in public life have such perfect smiles, you might be surprised to find out how many of them have had cosmetic dental work!

One way that we can make your smile more attractive is to place porcelain laminate veneers or jacket crowns. Porcelain veneers are translucent, thin laminates made to improve the esthetics (shape, spacing, color) of natural teeth, to correct crowding, or to replace composite bonding.

If you already have crowns on your front teeth, replacement with all porcelain jacket crowns may give you a more natural, attractive appearance. New generation all porcelain crowns can be made virtually identical to an adjacent tooth.  The key is no metal which can create opaqueness and cause that fake look.

Although porcelain is an extremely translucent material, it is also very strong. Porcelain veneers and crowns are permanent restorations, and they can be expected to last for many years. Also, there are no food restrictions - once they are cemented you can eat normally (apples, corn on the cob, etc.) - porcelain simply covers the imperfections in your own smile!

Porcelain jacket crowns and laminate veneers both require two office visits. At the first appointment, we remove any old bonding and prepare the teeth. We also take impressions and choose the shade and shape of the porcelain. When you leave the office, temporary restorations are used to cover the prepared teeth. Approximately one to two weeks later, the porcelain veneers or crowns are permanently cemented at the second appointment.

Veneers are thin shells that are laid onto the teeth and bonded to the surface.

Although they can be made of different materials, porcelain is frequently used because of its durability and realistic appearance. Veneers are a more conservative alternative to crowns since they require less removal of the tooth's original surface and sometimes can be placed with no tooth surface removal at all.

With veneers in place, patients can expect straighter, whiter, more youthful smile.