The dental veneers (veneers) are special prosthetics applied directly to the individual tooth to improve its aesthetic appearance. These are very thin lamellae in porcelain, ceramic or resin which are permanently cemented onto the tooth, to correct small imperfections such as =7>chips, slightly crooked teeth, diastema and yellow teeth or disfigured by stains which cannot be treated through scaling or professional whitening. So let's see how they are "welded" veneers on the teeth and what precautions to take to avoid scratching the prostheses, also preserving them in the long term. The first phase involves filing the tooth, making a dental impression and choosing the most suitable color for the veneer.
The second phase consists in applying the veneer on the tooth/teeth.
FIRST SESSION
First it is essential to "prepare" the tooth for the operation: this first stage, which is also very important, involves the filing of a part of the tooth enamel. The quantity of enamel to be removed must be equal to the thickness of the dental veneer that will be cemented into it: the aim is to facilitate the fixing of the veneer permanently and safely, minimizing the risk of detachment.
This operation can be performed with or without local anesthesia; very often the anesthetic is not necessary because the discomfort perceived while filing the tooth is more than bearable. However, to reassure the patient, many doctors prefer to lightly anesthetize the tooth with a minimal dose of anesthetic.
After filing the tooth, the doctor proceeds by performing the dental impression of the patient, essential for preparing a model on which to study the perfect size of the teeth.
At this point, with the aid of a colorimetric scale, the dentist chooses the color of the veneer most suitable for the patient: the prosthesis, in fact, it must have the same color as the other teeth because it would not make sense to apply a shiny and white veneer on yellow or stained teeth.
SECOND SESSION
The second session involves the application of the aesthetic veneer on the tooth. Before "gluing" it, the prosthesis must be tested directly on the patient, in order to ensure that the color and size are those required. If this is not the case, the veneer can be retouched or modified before being permanently fixed. After cementation, no changes or color corrections to the ceramic veneer are possible.
The cementation phase is therefore carried out at a later time, when the dental veneers are ready. This stage is extremely delicate because it requires the use of composite cements and adhesive systems; furthermore, the tooth to be restored must be perfectly isolated with a dam, a small latex handkerchief which, fixed on a tooth, prevents accumulation of saliva and separates it from the other teeth. Before cementing the veneer, the tooth must be treated with acid hydrofluoric and covered with a special adhesive (silane): this intermediate phase is essential to obtain good adhesion to enamel and dentin through composite concrete. At this point, we can proceed with the cementation of the veneer on the tooth. After positioning the dental veneer, the prosthesis can be slightly smoothed (without making major changes).
