Choosing the Right Color for Porcelain Veneers
When it comes to helping patients look their best and smile with renewed confidence, there are few better options than porcelain veneers. These thin shells of dental ceramic help mask stains, chips, cracks, and other flaws, leaving your smile looking perfect in the process. Many smile makeovers at our Nashville, TN practice have been achieved through porcelain veneers alone. They are that effective.
In order to achieve the best possible results, it’s important that Dr. Clint Newman color match the veneer as precisely as possible. We’d like to consider why the color of a porcelain veneer is so important and how the right shade is selected.
How Much Does Porcelain Veneer Color Matter?
The color of a porcelain veneer can make a major difference when it comes to the final outcome of porcelain veneers treatment. If a veneer is too white, it will look fake, like you’ve got plastic or Chiclets for teeth. Not white enough and your smile winds up looking dingy.
This is why veneers come in varying shades of white and off-white in order to best blend in with your existing teeth. "Tooth-colored" is probably more accurate than "white" when considering all of the various shades available.
Custom Color Matching of Porcelain Veneers
During the consultation process, we will take time to carefully consider the ideal shade of white for the veneers, and how slight differences in the color could impact the final outcomes of a smile makeover. Part of this requires a skilled eye for dental aesthetics, while the rest simply involves experience with enhancing smiles and knowing how the materials of dentistry interact with the natural structure of the teeth.
If you’re also undergoing teeth whitening treatment, we’ll hold off on porcelain veneer treatment until the bleaching process is through. This ensure the best possible cosmetic outcomes once your teeth are their whitest.
How the Semi-Translucent Material Helps
One of the great aspects of porcelain veneers is that they are semi-translucent. This means that light partially passes through them just like your natural tooth structure. Not only does this mean a natural appearance when in place, but it can also help with color matching.
Our Nashville cosmetic dentistry team takes high-resolution photos of your teeth to accompany the impressions sent to an off-site dental lab. We’ll include other notes and observations as well that may affect the creation of the veneer. Our partners at the dental lab can use this information to determine any subtle changes in color when the veneer is actually in place. Considering how the translucency of the veneer will complement the existing color of a tooth can lead to even more natural results from treatment.
The Results of Porcelain Veneer Treatment
Thanks to porcelain veneer treatment, a patient can have a smile that looks perfect and totally natural. The veneer will blend in seamlessly with your smile, and be totally indistinguishable from your natural teeth. This is thanks to the texture of the veneer material as well as the careful color matching process.
How Long Will the Porcelain Veneers Last?
On average, a porcelain veneer will last about 10 years, give or take. When you’re ready for new porcelain veneers, just come back to our Nashville practice. We will remove the old veneers, take impressions for new veneers, and also send along high-res photos of your teeth in their current state so the color of the veneers can be updated.
Remember, your smile changes over time, and it’s important that your veneers later in life should complement your teeth as they are.
Learn More About Porcelain Veneers
For more information about porcelain veneers and why they may be the right option for you, be sure to contact a skilled cosmetic and restorative dentist. Dr. Newman and his team can be reached by phone at (615) 866-4258 or (615) 334-0184.