Porcelain veneers
Porcelain veneers are known by various names such as dental porcelain laminates and dental veneers. They are a type of cosmetic dentistry. In fact, they are one of the most used type of cosmetic dentistry. These porcelain veneers are extremely. In fact, their thickness and can compared to that of wafer. They are put – or rather bonded – on the frontage of the teeth. Thus they provide easy fix for chipped, misaligned, worn and stained teeth.
Porcelain veneers can be classified as cosmetic dental bonding. That is because dentists use different materials that can bond to teeth in cosmetic dental bonding. And the porcelain veneers use such materials to join porcelain shells to tooth enamel. Many people may wonder why a substance as brittle as porcelain may be used for cosmetic bonding. The answer can be found in the bonding properties of porcelain. Although it can break easily, its strength and durability is increased tremendously when it is attached – or rather, bonded – to a relatively strong material such as the tooth.
In recent times, the popularity of porcelain veneers has reached a new height. This popularity can be attributed to the unique properties of porcelain veneers. The first property is the look of the porcelain veneers that make them resemble real teeth. And the second property of the veneers is that they do not stain easily. The answer to how the veneers resemble a real tooth can be found by comparing the structure veneers with that of a human tooth. The human tooth is made up of enamel. In fact, the content of enamel in the tooth is very high. However, many people do not know that enamel is not the only substance in teeth. Only the outer layer of the teeth is made up of enamel. The inner layer is made up of tissue. This tissue is quite hard and is known as the “dentin”.
The enamel is transparent. As a result, light that falls on a tooth can easily pass through the enamel layer. The reflection of light does not occur here. However, the dentin that is under the enamel is not transparent – that is, it is opaque. As a result, it reflects the light. The reflected light then makes the teeth seem shiny.
Previously, the materials used by dentists for cosmetic bonding were only semi transparent. This semi transparency nature of the materials allowed only a partial passing through of the light onto the dentin; a major proportion of light was reflected back from the materials. Thus the teeth appeared less lustrous.
On the other hand, porcelain veneers are made of ceramic. Their property is similar to glass in the sense that they are transparent. As a result, when it is attached to the surface of teeth, it allows light to completely pass through itself – in the same way that enamel does. The light then touches the dentin – from where it is reflected back. Thus the teeth appear as lustrous as they do in the case of enamel.
The second property of porcelain veneers – that is, resistance to staining – can also be attributed to the materials of which the veneers are made. As previously states, porcelain veneers are made of porcelain which a type of ceramic. The ceramic is similar to glass. For instance, both of them do not easily get discolored. This stain resistant property of porcelain veneers makes them extremely beneficial to people who regularly drink red wine, coffee and tea and use tobacco – since all these materials cause stains on the teeth.
Thus it can be easily seen that the two unique properties of porcelain veneers make them superior to all other types of cosmetic dentistry. They are also relatively cheap – one of the reasons why their use has increased so rapidly.
Comments are closed
Related Information
