Choosing your color
We are very good at picking colors for my patients. We have done enough cases to know what colors look good and which ones are to dark or to light depending on the individual. We will help guide you through the color option.
The final color of a veneer is composed of 4 different things. The first is the tooth itself which is the canvas, the second is the cement which bonds the porcelain to the tooth, the third is the ingot with is the pressed porcelain and the fourth is the layering porcelain that gets laid on top of the ingot for natural results.
The color of the veneer will be a graduated color from the biting edge to the gum line, like natural teeth. In natural teeth the most saturation of color is at the gum line. Too frequently with crowns and veneers the final result is to monochromatic, or one color. This gives a fake look that is a tip off that it is artificial. The extra thickness at the gum line does not allow for the ingot to press thin and get more translucent and allow more natural underlying tooth color to come through. If you have ever heard of a veneer popping off, the veneer is most likely very thick, the thin veneers we do never pop off. Let it be said that preparing for veneers and crowns on front teeth is an extremely technical and artistic procedure and should not be taken lightly. We can not express enough the amount of knowledge we have obtained through post graduate education and experience. It does make a difference.
Replacing old crowns and bridges
People often think that if they already have old crowns or bridges on their front teeth then they can not have veneers. They are right in a sense, but what they really want is not veneers, but a nice smile. We can replace old crowns with new crowns using the same material as we do for veneers. The final result is a smile makeover that looks just as natural and beautiful as veneers. Even people with dentures can have smile makeovers. A cosmetic denture with natural looking whiter teeth and more natural looking gums can completely enhance the smile and take years off.
Lumineers
If the dentist promotes Lumineers heavily, then beware. A talented cosmetic dentist who is packing a talented ceramist will feel like a Lumineer veneer looks bulky, fake, monochromatic and non-vital, compared to a well done veneer by their own ceramist. Ask to see some before and after photos of their own veneers as well as before and after pictures of Lumineers. Keep in mind that a before and after book of Lumineers is given to a dentist that participates in their program. The dentist may be doing Lumineers because they do not feel confident with their own veneers. I am not saying never ever do a Lumineer case, but the selection for the case is very, very minimal if at all. Make sure a dentist shows you their own work. We love to brag about our work and share stories about the patients we show you.
The country's best ceramists do not work for Lumineers. They usually work at smaller boutique labs that focus on turning out high quality ceramics.
Fashion
I know it seems a little silly, but a cosmetic dentist needs to know what looks good. The dentist's taste is what he uses to design your veneers. Can you get a feel that they seem like they have good fashion sense? He may not have the same idea as you of what looks good. If you don't think what looks good is what the dentist thinks looks good, it is going to be hard to get what you want in your teeth.
For example, would you get dressed by a stylist that wears inappropriate clothing? Would you get your hair cut by a stylist who has a hair-do that is 20 years out of style? Would you get your teeth done by a dentist whose teeth are ugly? Of course not! Just because we are health care practitioners does not mean we are exempt from having good taste. Take it all in, from the moment you walk through the door to the moment you leave, evaluate whether this dentist can be trusted with what will look good on your face.
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