Veneers & Bonding

Veneers

Veneers are thin shells of porcelain that cover the fronts of teeth, something like artificial fingernails. The function of veneers is to cover up gaps between teeth and hide crooked, misshapen or stained teeth. The dentist will first reshape your teeth by removing some enamel to allow for the added thickness of the veneers. Then, a molded image is sent to a dental lab where the porcelain veneers are made to exactly fit over your teeth and cover any imperfections. Finally, the veneers are applied to the natural teeth with adhesive material.

Dental Bonding

Dental bonding is a cosmetic dentistry technique that uses a composite resin to mask imperfections. The resin is matched to the color of the patient's teeth and applied freehand by the dentist. It's like putty and can be molded and shaped to cover up imperfections, but it doesn't have the translucent look of veneers. The function of dental bonding is to make chipped, discolored or short teeth look better. Bonding can also be used to protect part of the tooth's root that becomes exposed when the gums recede around your teeth. Little or no tooth preparation is needed.