Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers can revitalize your smile, very quickly. If your teeth are chipped or stained, include an unsightly gap, or have been ground down, and you are ready for a change, you should consider a Smile Makeover. In just one week, you can look years younger with beautiful, custom porcelain veneers from Pasadena Family, Cosmetic, and Implant Dentistry.

Patients who are considering porcelain veneers are typically looking to address multiple structural or cosmetic issues with their teeth, such as:

• chipped tooth/teeth
• cracks in teeth
• gaps between teeth
• correcting crowded teeth
• stained or discolored teeth

Process for Porcelain Veneers:

1. Consultation & Evaluation – You will first need to meet with one of our highly-skilled and experienced cosmetic dentists for an initial consultation and evaluation.  During this appointment, your dentist will examine your teeth to make sure dental veneers are appropriate for you and discuss what the procedure will involve and some of its limitations. We may also need take X-rays and possibly make impressions of your mouth and teeth.
2. Diagnostic Wax-Up – In most cases, a diagnostic wax-up is indicated to allow us to better evaluate and predict the final outcomes you can expect of your smile makeover. Using wax, a mock-up of your final smile will be completed so you can see how much the appearance of your teeth can be improved
3. Preparation – On your next visit to your dentist, he/she will remove about 1/2 millimeter of enamel from the tooth surface, which is an amount nearly equal to the thickness of the veneer to be added to the tooth surface. A use of a local anesthetic may be used to numb the area before the enamel is trimmed off. Then your dentist will make a model or impression of your tooth to send out to a dental laboratory which will be constructing your veneer. This process usually takes 1 to 2 weeks for your dentist to receive the veneers back from the laboratory.
4. Bonding – Before the dental veneer is permanently cemented to your tooth, your dentist will temporarily place it on your tooth to examine its fit and color. He or she will repeatedly remove and trim the veneer as needed to achieve the proper fit; the veneer color can be adjusted with the shade of cement to be used. Next, to prepare your tooth to receive the veneer, your tooth will be cleaned, polished, and etched — which roughens the tooth to allow for a strong bonding process. A special cement is applied to the veneer and the veneer is then placed on your tooth. Once properly position on the tooth, your dentist will apply a special light beam to the dental veneer, which activates chemicals in the cement, causing it to harden or cure very quickly. The final steps involve removing any excess cement, evaluating your bite and making any final adjustments in the veneer as necessary. Your dentist may ask you to return for a follow-up visit in a couple of weeks to check how your gums are responding to the presence of your veneer and to once again examine the veneer’s placement

Alternative to Porcelain Veneers:

Lumineers

Lumineers are the most popular of what are called minimal preparation and “no-prep” ceramic veneer options. The difference in these types of veneers is that they typically do not require the dentist to grind, cut down, or file any tooth structure for proper placement. Additionally there is no need for shots because Lumineers do not require any drilling of sensitive teeth structure. Lumineers last over 20 years with proper care, and allow you to eat and drink whatever you want. Additionally Lumineers, unlike traditional veneers are reversible because there is no penetration into the layer of tooth substance beyond the enamel.

Learn About Veneers

Thin Veneers

Homecare:  After Implant Surgery

After implants have been placed, it’s important to follow these recommendations to ensure their long-term success.

General care

To control minor bleeding, apply moderate pressure with gauze pads or a clean, moist tea bag wrapped in a gauze pad.

Limit yourself to calm activities for the first three to five days to keep your blood pressure stable and reduce bleeding.

If you usually wear a removable denture or partial denture, we will give you specific instructions about wearing it while your implants heal.

Tobacco use

Don’t use tobacco for at least 24 hours, and avoid tobacco as much as possible for several months. Tobacco slows healing and increases the risk that your body will reject the implants, and it’s the leading cause of implant failure.

When to call us

Call us  right away if you have heavy or increased bleeding, you have pain or swelling that increases or continues beyond two or three days, or you have a reaction to the medication.

Call us if the implants gradually show through the gums, so we can check them.

You can also call us with any questions or concerns.

Chewing and eating

Avoid chewing until the numbness has worn off completely. If we placed a temporary restoration, avoid chewing for one half-hour to allow the temporary cement to set.

For the first 24 hours, drink lots of liquids and eat soft, nutritious foods, chewing on the opposite side of your mouth.

After the first 24 hours, you can begin to return to your usual diet, but continue to chew on the opposite side. Avoid very hot or spicy foods until your gums are healed. We’ll evaluate your situation to determine how soon you can chew on the implant.

Brushing and flossing

For the first 14 days, gently wipe the implant site with gauze or a cotton swab. After that, brush the area gently with a soft toothbrush.

Don’t floss the site for four weeks.

We will evaluate the healing and adjust your brushing and flossing timetable as necessary.

Brush and floss your other teeth normally.

If we have recommended a mouthrinse, use it as directed.

Medication and discomfort

If antibiotics or other medicines are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone.

To control discomfort, take pain medication before the anesthetic has worn off or as recommended. It’s normal to experience some discomfort for several days after surgery.

To reduce discomfort or swelling for the first 24 hours following surgery, use ice packs, 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off .

To reduce discomfort after the first 24 hours, apply moist heat.

To further reduce discomfort after the first 24 hours, you can rinse your mouth very gently three times a day with warm salt water. Use about one teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water.

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