Dental veneers are useful in masking teeth discoloration. The main types of veneers are composite resin and porcelain. The latter is considered superior and is what you should opt for if you have severe teeth discoloration. What many people do not know is that there are different categories of porcelain veneers. Here are the three major ones:
Stacked Porcelain
Stacked porcelain veneers are the traditional/conventional forms of veneers. To fabricate stacked ceramic, the laboratory technician paints different layers of porcelain on a tooth model. The layers are stacked until the desired size of the veneers. The porcelain is made as thin as possible so that the least amount of tooth structure is removed.
The major advantage of stacked porcelain is that the finished product closely resembles your natural teeth. This is possible due to the customization done using the model and layering process. The upside is that stacked porcelain isn't very strong, which is one reason researchers came up with other categories of veneers.
Pressed Porcelain
Both conventional (stacked) and pressed ceramic veneers are made from the same materials; the difference is the fabrication process. Pressed porcelain is fabricated by waxing a tooth, which is then melted, injected with porcelain and pressed. This results in thicker veneers with several distinct advantages.
According to Dental Economics, the major advantages of pressed ceramic veneers include:
- Their fabrication, under high heat and pressure, makes them stronger than conventional ceramics.
- They are less abrasive to natural teeth because their texture closely resembles that of your teeth.
- They have a better fit.
Lithium Disilicate Porcelain
This is one of the newest forms of veneers available in the market today, and it is markedly different from the two veneers discussed above. Lithium disilicate is a glass ceramic that is highly resistant to thermal shock. To make a veneer out of the material, dentists use state-of-the-art computer programs to produce designs that are thin, strong, and closely resemble your teeth. During fabrication, the product can also be pressed to improve its fit over your tooth. If you suffer from bruxims (chronic teeth grinding), then this porcelain may be good for you because it will not grind down, chip or crack easily.
Because the primary objective of getting veneers is to improve teeth appearance, it is understandable that patients will always go for the treatment with the best aesthetic results. However, it is still advisable to let your dentist guide you in choosing your veneers. This is because the dentist knows best what will fit your teeth, the level of customization possible and the significance of the strength of the veneer.
For more information, contact Scott Brenner, DDS or a similar dental professional.
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