Porcelain Veneers by East Setauket Dentist Terry S. Shapiro, D.M.D.
The veneer is a thin shell of tooth-colored porcelain that covers the front of your tooth. So if your teeth are crooked or if you have gaps between your teeth, or if your teeth are discolored or decayed, the veneer can cover the defects and give you a radiant smile. Creating beautiful veneers is technically very demanding for the dentist and dental technician. The dentist has to have extensive training in dental cosmetics and dental adhesives, and each veneer case has to be carefully planned.
Before
After placement of porcelain veneers
Before
After placement of porcelain veneers
Before
After placement of porcelain veneers
When done well and when indicated, veneers can be a wonderful service. We start with a consult to discover your needs and desires. We take radiographs and photographs, make models of your teeth, and perform a comprehensive exam. We can also do computer imaging to show you how your teeth might look. Our oral design laboratory creates a "diagnostic waxup model" which is a blueprint for the final veneers. At your next appointment we prepare the teeth and take impressions. We provide you with provisional veneers which are a test run for the final veneers. The next appointment is for the cementation. We try in the veneers for aesthetics, fit, and function, and if approved by patient and dentist, we bond in the veneers with an adhesive bonding cement. We give instructions on how to keep the veneered teeth healthy, and we see you back in our dental office at regular intervals to ensure a long life for your new smile.
Unfortunately, patients often come into my dental office with failed veneers placed by dentists who do not have the proper training. Yes, veneers can fail: they can break, they can detach from the tooth, stains and decay can develop around the veneer and the aesthetics can be awful. Just look at the following:
Failed veneers
Replacement veneers
What about Lumineers? The Lumineer is a brand name product of the Den-Mat Company. Lumineers are heavily marketed to the public, so they have become a household name. But not everyone is a candidate for the Lumineer. The result can be bulky and your gums won't react well to the bulk. The Lumineer is thin and opaque, and you don't get the beautiful, natural translucency of other veneers
Long Island dentist practicing general and cosmetic dentistry - dentures, implants, crowns, veneers - in East Setauket, New York, serving Port Jefferson - Coram - Selden - Holbrook - Ronkonkoma - Holtsvile - Middle Island - Lake Grove - Centereach - Patchogue - Smithtown and Stony Brook. Providing quality dental care in Suffolk County for over 20 years.
