How are composite dental veneers different than porcelain?
It’s important to look after your teeth, you’ll want them to last for the rest of your life. Looking after them means brushing daily, flossing, and visiting a good dentist, whether it’s a dentist Little Bay or somewhere else in Australia.
But, no matter how well you look after your teeth it is highly likely that you’ll need a filling or some other work at some point. This should be seen as helping you to maintain your teeth and not as a failure to look after them. Your teeth, after all, are under attack every single day.
One treatment that is surprisingly common is dental veneers, this is actually a cosmetic issue and not anything to do with the state of your teeth, although it can be used to improve the look of damaged teeth. But, if you’re considering veneers you’re going to need to decide between porcelain and composite.
The Porcelain Veneer
As the name suggests these veneers are made from porcelain. A thin shell is created and then fastened to the outer surface of your teeth. It will be colored to match the color of your teeth and should stay in place without intervention for years.
However, it is worth noting that porcelain veneers will usually require two visits to your dentist. The first will be to take a tiny layer off your teeth and create an impression of your teeth, this is sent to the lab to create a mold.
On your second visit, the old will be fastened to your teeth, you’ll wear temporary veneers in the intervening stage.
A porcelain veneer will last for between 10-15 years, the material is very strong and unlikely to chip during this time. In fact, the porcelain veneer will also capture the light and look extremely natural.
But, the downside of porcelain veneers is that they are significantly more expensive than the composite equivalent.
Composite Veneers
Although these are very strong they are more like to chip than a porcelain veneer, because they are not as strong as porcelain. It’s also important to be aware that composite veneers look great but not quite as natural as porcelain.
Composite veneers are made from an engineered resin, it’s affixed to the outer surface of your teeth in the same way as the porcelain one. But, these veneers can be fitted in just one visit. Your dentist will simply apply resin directly to your teeth, matching the color and giving the best possible finish in one sitting. Once it’s cured they’ll polish it and you can head home to show off your new smile!
Of course, the composite veneers take less time to fit and the material is cheaper, which makes the overall cost significantly cheaper, but, they will only last between 4 and 8 years, which means they’ll need to be replaced at least once during the lifetime of porcelain veneers.
That’s the bottom line, porcelain veneers look slightly better and cost a lot more, but, in the long term, the costs can be balanced out if you can afford them today.