Dental Porcelain Veneers Vancouver | Dr. Shannon Dental Clinic

Veneers are an increasingly popular procedure. Veneers are an option for closing gaps, disguising discolored, chipped or badly aligned teeth. Veneers can also be used on teeth that did not respond well to whitening procedures. They are used to restore teeth to give patients that bright white smile they have always desired.

The process for getting veneers is as follows:

1. We assess your needs. The number of veneers we use is dictated by your needs. Some people have a toothier smile than others; therefore, more veneers are needed.
2. We do a wax-up for you to see what your smile will look like with veneers. This step allows us to make sure we understand your desires.
3. If you are doing a few veneers, we suggest whitening the teeth first so that all your teeth will match.
4. The teeth are prepped. To prepare the teeth for the veneers, the teeth are lightly reduced on the facial aspect to allow for the small added thickness of the veneer. Usually, about half a millimeter of the tooth is removed, which may require a local anesthetic. For ceramic veneers, a mold is taken of the teeth, which is sent to the laboratory for the fabrication of the veneers.
5. We put temporaries on your teeth to wear until our lab fabricates the permanent veneers.
6. When your ceramic veneers are ready, we place each veneer on the teeth to check their fit and get a sense of the shade or color. While the veneers are resting on your teeth, we view the results and provide feedback. The color cannot be altered after veneers are cemented. To apply the veneer, the tooth is cleansed with specific chemicals to achieve a bond. After a special cement is sandwiched between the veneer and tooth, a light beam hardens the cement. The veneers are cemented on and you are thrilled!

It's critical that you take an active role in the smile design.

1. Spend some time in the planning of the smile with Dr. Shannon.
2. Understand the corrective limitations of the procedure.
3. Have more than one consultation, if necessary, to feel comfortable that we understand your objectives.

For about a week or two, you will go through a period of adjustment as you get used to your "new" teeth that have changed in size and shape. Brush and floss daily. After one or two weeks, we have you return for a follow-up appointment.

Veneers are reasonable facsimiles of natural teeth, not perfect replacements. It's not uncommon to see slight variations in the color of veneers upon close inspection, as this occurs even in natural teeth. Nevertheless, this procedure can greatly enhance your smile and can heighten self-esteem.

Link to our Case Study section to see the great results that veneers can bring to a smile.