When people are planning to get porcelain veneers, they worry that their teeth will be ground down or damaged. This isn’t true. Here’s how the procedure works.
- In the preparation appointment, you are given novocain, and, in most cases, only a small amount of tooth structure is shaved away to make space for the porcelain veneer. Ordinarily, this is one-half of a millimeter, or one-fiftieth of an inch—about the thickness of a fingernail.
- With Lumineers, they are even thinner—about three-tenths of a millimeter. In some cases, Lumineers can be placed without any preparation of the teeth at all.
- When the porcelain veneers are bonded on, they are bonded securely, so that they become an enamel replacement. They become a part of your tooth, and your tooth looks and acts like it always did.
- If you have a crown placed on your front tooth, then your tooth really does need to be ground down. Your tooth will be shortened substantially, and the sides will be ground so that they are all slightly tapered, so that the crown can be slid onto your tooth and bonded.
If you don’t want anything removed from your tooth, this can often be done. Let Dr. Rothwell know what you want, and they will honor your desires and explain to you what results can be achieved with the technique you wish used.