Mesa Porcelain Veneers

Dr. Sandra Reyes is a dentist and has answered some of the common questions Bizymoms visitors have about Porcelain Veneers.


Q. What are porcelain veneers?

A. Porcelain veneers are full ceramic restorations which are primarily used to change the shape, shade or alignment of ones tooth or smile.  They are great in that they preserve more tooth structure, as compared to a conventional crown.
Veneers are natural in appearance and can be placed in as little as 2 visits.  They usually require the removal of a small amount of enamel, but with new technologies in this field, they can now be made without much preparation, if any at all.

Q. How long do dental veneers last? 

A. How long a dental veneer lasts is dependant on multiple factors, so an exact date range cannot be given.  But as with any restoration, a veneer that is cared for with daily flossing, brushing, rinses and regular check-ups can last many years.  This is also true if the patient understands that any restoration, especially veneers, are not as strong as natural enamel.
Therefore, traumatic habits (i.e. chewing on ice, chewing on pens, using teeth to open things, and chewing hard foods such as peanut brittle) and certain functions may fracture these restorations.  The average crown is replaced an average of every 7 yrs, but they can last as many of 20 - 30 yrs.

Q. Do dental veneers require special care? 

A. Yes.  They require daily flossing, brushing and rinsing, as well as proper use.  Therefore no chewing of hard foods.  They, as with certain ceramic restorations, should not be used as the main fulcrum point during function. You can still use them without worry, but need to use common sense when choosing foods.  The use of a night guard is also highly recommended to protect your veneers at night. These can fracture in patients with heavy grinding habits.

Q. Are there alternatives to dental veneers? 

A. Full ceramic crowns are an alternative to veneers and can provide more strength.  The down side being that they remove more natural tooth structure.  Not every tooth is a candidate for veneers, so ceramic crowns are a nice alternative.

Q. Do Veneers look natural? 

A. Absolutely.  Veneers reflect light differently than other restorations, therefore appear more natural.
Typically, poor esthetics results only when the patient was improperly treatment planned for veneers, when ceramic crowns would have been a better choice.  Veneers need to have good and sound tooth structure to provide the highest esthetics.  We also use great "world class " lab for these cases. So our patient’s are only getting the best when they get veneers in our office.

Q. Does the veneer protect one’s tooth from decay? 

A. No.  The only thing that protects one’s tooth from decay is daily brushing and flossing.  Only sealants, fluoride, good oral hygiene and regular cleanings protect from decay.

Q. How much does veneer cost? 

A. The average veneer can cost about $1000 - $1300, but can be as much as $1600 in some areas.  Our fee is $1195 per tooth.

Q. How to contact Dr. Reyes if we have further questions?    

A.
Address:
4854 E. Baseline Road
Suite 101
Mesa, AZ 85206
Phone: 480-654-1811
Fax: 480-654-1040
Email: info@reyesdental.com
Website: http://www.reyesdental.com/