A composite veneer is, according to dental experts, a very thin layer of composite resin that covers the outer surface of the tooth. It allows you to immediately improve the appearance of your teeth and rejuvenate at the same time without the need to undergo long and expensive treatments.
What are composite veneers?
Composites are composite resins that adhere directly to the tooth, without the need to wear down the enamel. There is a great variety of composites that differ in their chemical composition, color, resistance, functional and esthetic requirements.
Composites are materials that are modeled directly on the surface of the tooth and that allow an infinite number of therapeutic alternatives in order to achieve a healthier, more beautiful and natural smile.
What are the indications for composite veneers and what are they used for?
Composite veneers are used for:
– Repair broken teeth.
– To cover the surfaces of worn teeth.
– Improve the color of one or more teeth with very natural results.
– Improve the shape of teeth.
– Modify the size of teeth.
– Correct the position of some teeth without the need for orthodontic treatment.
– Rejuvenate the face, improve the profile and attenuate the wrinkles of the lips.
– Improve the appearance of teeth that have stains, cracks, etc. ….
– Protect teeth in patients with bruxism.
– Achieve a wider, younger and more attractive smile.
The selection of composites together with the technique and manual dexterity allow excellent and very natural results. In addition, a test can be done to see the results before starting the treatment.
Advantages of composite veneers
This type of dental veneers are modeled directly on the tooth and offer the following advantages over other dental treatments:
– It is a totally personalized treatment, exclusive to each patient, which is done by hand and can be adapted to the needs and requirements of each person.
– Composite veneers respect the tooth as much as possible since they do not require any grinding of the tooth as their technique is simply based on their chemical adhesion to the tooth.
– The results are very natural, not at all artificial.
– They do not require the interface of a laboratory, which allows the treatment to be faster and more economical.
– It is a totally painless treatment and does not require anesthesia.
– The results of the treatment are immediate since it is performed in a single session, in a morning or an afternoon.
– If a composite veneer fractures, it is very easy to repair it since it allows working on the same resin.
– They protect teeth in people with bruxism by preventing further wear. These cases should also be treated with an unloading splint.
– Their maintenance is simple, undergoing periodic check-ups and possible polishing. If properly maintained, they last between 7 and 12 years.
Differences and benefits of composite veneers versus ceramic, porcelain or Lumineers veneers
– Composite veneers respect the tooth as much as possible because they do not require grinding, since their technique is based simply on their chemical adhesion to the tooth. However, ceramic, porcelain or Lumineers veneers, no matter how thin they are, require grinding of the tooth to achieve a minimum space on which to rest and be retained on the tooth.
– Ceramic or porcelain veneers always require an interface with a laboratory, which makes the treatment longer and more expensive. In addition, it is not such a personalized treatment because the person who manufactures the veneers, who is the ceramist, does not know the patient’s needs, tastes and esthetic requirements.
– Composite veneers are a direct treatment because they are resins that are modeled directly on the surface of the tooth and adhere to it by means of a chemical bonding technique. However, ceramic/porcelain veneers/Lumineers are cemented onto the prepared tooth and are fabricated indirectly.
– The results of composite veneers can be modified as often as necessary, however, when ceramic veneers are fabricated, they cannot be modified.
– The treatment with composite veneers does not require anesthesia, however, ceramic/porcelain veneers usually require anesthesia because the appearance of the tooth is modified. In the latter case, a provisional will also be needed while they are being fabricated.
– The results of the treatment with composites are immediate since it is performed in a single session, in a morning or an afternoon. With ceramic veneers, at least two appointments are required.
– If a composite veneer fractures, it is very easy to repair it because it allows you to work on the same resin. If a porcelain veneer fractures, it is necessary to fabricate a completely new one and wait at least one week with a temporary.
– The maintenance of both is simple, undergoing periodic reviews and possible polishing.
– In the long term, if recession occurs in the gingiva, in the case of composite veneers, nothing happens because it is treated as a simple filling since the resin allows material to be added directly to the tooth. On the other hand, this cannot be solved with ceramic/porcelain veneers or Lumineers, which would have to be repeated.
– Composites, if stained, can be easily cleaned and their surface polished to restore the brightness. Porcelains are not pigmented.
– The results are very natural, not at all artificial in both cases. In composites it will depend on the selection of composites and manual dexterity. In ceramics, the esthetic results depend fundamentally on the laboratory.
– The diagnosis of future caries in teeth treated with veneers is easier to see and treat than in teeth that have been treated with porcelain veneers or Lumineers.