Anyone who wishes to improve the appearance of their teeth may want to consider dental veneers or dental bonding, but understanding the differences can be confusing. Both are excellent at hiding small imperfections and creating a more perfect smile in Oshawa. Both work quite differently, so it’s worth knowing how each could help, whether you are considering changing the appearance of your teeth soon or are just curious about what’s available at Margolian Dentistry.

Dental Veneers

Veneers are made from a thin shell of porcelain covering a tooth’s front surface. They are custom-designed and individually made to look exactly like real teeth, and because they are porcelain, they will not stain or discolour.

The process for having porcelain veneers in Whitby begins by preparing your teeth. During this process, we must remove a thin layer of tooth enamel, typically around 0.5 mm. It’s necessary to remove this enamel to create enough room for the veneers; otherwise, they would look and feel too big, bulky and unnatural. Next, we take a digital dental impression of your teeth using a handheld scanner. Digital dental impressions replace the need for traditional tray impressions that many people find uncomfortable to tolerate, and a digital dental impression is far more accurate.

Our dental laboratory uses the digital impression to create your new veneers to our exact specifications, and we liaise closely with the technicians to ensure you receive excellent results. While your new teeth are made, we can protect your prepared teeth with temporary veneers, and this can be an excellent opportunity to try out your new smile to ensure you are happy with the predicted outcome. When the new veneers are ready, we remove the temporary veneers and permanently cement the porcelain veneers onto your teeth, completing your treatment. Because porcelain veneers are made outside the mouth, they are called indirect restorations.

Porcelain veneers are wonderful for hiding teeth that are heavily stained, too short or worn down, or slightly crooked and out of alignment. They can also close or minimize gaps between teeth. With the right after-care, porcelain veneers can last for ten years or more before they need replacing.

Dental Bonding

Dental bonding is done chairside, so it’s considered a direct restoration. First, the surface of the teeth to be bonded are prepared by lightly etching them with a special fluid. Etching teeth creates a slightly rougher surface, ensuring a stronger bond between the bonding material and the tooth. The bonding material is called composite resin, and it comes in a huge range of shades, so our dentist will closely match the colour of your natural teeth. Our dentist applies the composite resin in small increments, hardening it regularly with a special light. Once all the composite resin is in place, it is carefully shaped and polished to give it a natural lustre.

Dental bonding in Ajax is perfect for mending small imperfections in teeth like tiny cracks or chips or minimizing or closing unsightly gaps between teeth. This treatment can also correct minor problems with misaligned teeth. Treatment is quicker than porcelain veneers and can often be completed in a single visit. It is also more cost-effective. However, composite resin can stain and discolour, especially if you like highly coloured foods or love your cup of coffee, tea or a glass of red wine. Dental bonding also tends only to be used when just one or two teeth need a little cosmetic help, subtly improving the appearance of teeth. Porcelain veneers are often used to mask the appearance of all teeth that are visible when people laugh, talk or smile, creating a more significant change to the appearance of teeth.