Cosmetic Dentistry Directory Blog

One of the benefits offered by modern cosmetic dentistry is the improved materials used. You have probably heard about porcelain veneers and perhaps know that they are thin tooth covers placed on front teeth to enhance your smile.

The porcelain they are made from is a new material introduced by cosmetic dentistry and its most obvious benefit is that it is pearly white like teeth. It also has subtle variations in its whiteness like tooth enamel. It comes in many shades of white so that your cosmetic dentist can match your veneers to your natural teeth.

Dental porcelain is also used for:

• Tooth crowns;
• White fillings; and
• Dental bridges.

When your dentist uses porcelain for a restoration, it is known as an indirect restoration. The veneer, filling etc. is not applied directly to your teeth but is first custom-made in a dental lab. Then your dentist applies it to your teeth and perhaps does minor adjustments for a better fit. In contrast, direct restorations are procedures such as dental bonding, where no lab is involved.

If your cosmetic dentist has CEREC technology, he or she can make your porcelain restorations in his office. That saves you from coming back for a second visit after the lab has made your restoration.

Resemblance to Tooth Enamel

Both porcelain and tooth enamel are semi-translucent. In other words, they allow some light to pass through them and they reflect some. When porcelain restorations are affixed to your teeth, some light reflects directly off the porcelain to give it a shiny look. But some light is also allowed through to the dental cement that holds your restoration in place. That light then reflects off the cement, modifying the shine.

Similarly, some light that shines on tooth enamel is reflected directly off, creating a shine. But some penetrates the enamel and is reflected off the dentin layer beneath. In this way, both porcelain and tooth enamel have very similar pearly sheens and nobody can recognize your porcelain restorations as being dental work.

If you would like to have a smile makeover done by a fully-qualified cosmetic dentist, please contact us for the names of such dentists near you.