Veneers are a cosmetic dentistry solution for perfecting and whitening the smile. Composite veneers are one type of dental veneers, made from resin-composite, tooth-colored filling material.
Functions
Composite veneers will aesthetically correct irregular teeth that are chipped, discolored, misshaped, crooked (mildly to moderately), misaligned, gapped or worn down.
Shaping and Fitting
While most veneers are sent to be made at a lab, during which the patient must wear temporary veneers for at least three weeks, composite veneers are made by the dentist and shaped and fitted in the patients mouth, in-chair.
Visits Required
While porcelain veneers require two or three visits to complete the procedure, composite veneers only require one visit to complete the shaping, adjusting, formation and bonding of the veneers to the teeth.
Durability
According to Sharon L. Albright, D.D.S, composite veneers do not have the durability of porcelain veneers and have a greater chance of chipping, breaking and wearing down. However, composite veneers can be fixed and replaced more easily than porcelain.
Appearance
Although composite veneers can look white and blend with the natural teeth, they are not as natural looking when up close and personal. Composite resin material does not have the translucency of porcelain and therefore cannot give the patient as natural-looking of an appearance as porcelain laminates.
Staining
The material used for composite veneers will resist stains to a certain extent--more than the natural surface tooth enamel--but it is not completely stain resistant, like porcelain veneers.
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