Composite veneers or also called composite resins, are thin sheets (in layers) that are placed on the front of the teeth and allow us to improve different aspects of dental aesthetics, such as shape, color, position, texture, etc. without having to lower the teeth to be modeled. Sometimes they are also called handmade veneers, since they are made layer by layer simulating the natural tooth, with its brightness and shape. This technique requires a great manual and artistic skill of the specialist in order to achieve completely natural smiles.
Composite veneers are thin – from 0.3 to 1 mm. thick – made of a synthetic material, derived from resin. They are usually applied in the front area of the anterior teeth, that is, central incisors, lateral incisors and canines.
How is the composite veneer bonded to the tooth?
The composite veneers are bonded to the teeth with a special strong adhesive. The ideal bond is directly on top of the enamel and in most cases, it is done without grinding the teeth, which makes this treatment very conservative. Without grinding the teeth the patient will always have his teeth intact.
Before being able to undergo an aesthetic treatment such as composite veneers, it is necessary that the patient’s oral health is excellent. That is to say, to present a good health of the gum (periodontal) and to solve problems such as cavities.
What problems can composite veneers solve?
- Change or improve the color of your teeth.
- Align the position of your teeth.
- Correct the shape of your teeth.
- Lengthen anteriorews destroyed and/or fractured teeth.
- Close spaces between teeth.
- Improve the smile with maximum naturalness.
- Change old visible reconstructions.
- Change old composites with shape, color and texture errors.
- Fractured anterior teeth.
- Staining by tetracyclines.
- Small teeth, short, with a lot of gum, inclined.
Advantages of composite veneers
- Fast treatment; most veneer applications take less than 4 hours.
- It is performed in 1 single session.
- The patient can lead a normal life and eat the same day.
- Painless: in most cases anesthesia is not necessary.
- Very conservative treatment: in most applications it is not necessary to grind the tooth. Less sensitivity, compared to ceramic veneers (they require tooth grinding).
- Optimal result in 1 session.
- Veneers are very thin, like natural teeth.
- Treatment that can be reversible, modifications can be made in shape, length, color… whereas with ceramic veneers these changes are not possible.
The specialist in dental esthetics is the best person to diagnose and assess whether the patient needs to be treated with composite or ceramic veneers.
DRA. MONTSE ROVIRA
SPECIALIST IN AESTHETIC & COSMETIC DENTISTRY.
