Revitalize the Beauty of Your Smile with Porcelain Veneers

Dr. Van Slate has long been considered by his peers as a leader in cosmetic dentistry. He has received a Fellowship from the world-renowned Las Vegas Dental Institute and the International Association of Physiologic Aesthetics. Dr. Van Slate has successfully completed hundreds of veneer cases and complex full mouth rehabilitation cases in his career. He has relationships with some of the best dental lab ceramists in the country who work with him to achieve the most ideal cosmetic results for his patients. We use digital scanners, and we will fabricate a wax model of the teeth, so the patient can see a preview of the final outcome before any work is actually done to the teeth.

First, our goal is any cosmetic case is to be as conservative as possible, and to keep enamel reduction to a minimum. To do this, we use preparation guides that help us determine exactly where the teeth need to be shaped, to achieve our desired cosmetic results. The fact is, we are often trying to fix teeth with many cosmetic challenges. Teeth that have gaps may require less shaping of the tooth than one that is rotated or crowded. About 70-80% of the time, a tooth will require some recontouring. There are some systems that advocate little to no tooth preparation that will often end up with less-than-ideal results. Therefore, the tooth may look too bulky or have ledges that stain more often. This can also lead to more gum inflammation, decay issues and much higher failure rates. We should never sacrifice a beautiful cosmetic result for a no prep design. 

Of course, this will always depend on the outcome that the patient wants to achieve. In almost all veneer cases, we are usually making a color change, so at a minimum, the average veneer case will involve the upper front eight teeth, so that all the teeth in the "smile zone" are the same color. We take a lot of photographs of a person to see what teeth they show in a wide smile, to help us determine if the teeth may need a veneer.

Our ability to do "invisible braces" with orthodontic aligners has given us dramatic advantages in solving many cosmetic challenges. Invisalign treatment can often be used to achieve dramatic tooth movement in about half the time as conventional metal braces. Using the Itero digital scanner we can simulate tooth movement before anything is done. By moving the teeth into a more ideal position with Invisalign before the teeth are prepared for the porcelain veneers, we can achieve better cosmetic situations with much less tooth reduction.

Some people show a lot of gum tissue when they smile, resulting in a less than ideal cosmetic appearance. Since the gum tissue forms the frame around our teeth, we will often use dental lasers to contour, smooth and shape the gum tissue as part of our veneer procedure. We must have a uniform and appealing gum symmetry so that the porcelain veneers can be made with ideal shapes and proportions. For some people with a significant amount of gum tissue showing, a surgical procedure called crown lengthening may be required. We go over the need for laser treatment in the planning, designing and wax up phase, before the teeth are prepared for porcelain veneers.

If you have ever wanted to drastically alter your appearance or simply straighten a few misaligned teeth, porcelain veneers in Houston may be right for you. At the Cosmetic and Restorative Dentistry Center of Dr. Jon Marc Van Slate we offer a wide array of dental options, including porcelain veneers, to our patients in and around the Houston area. If you’re looking for a better smile, contact us to schedule a personal consultation to discuss porcelain veneers at our Houston practice, and see why Dr. Van Slate is a Texas leader in cosmetic dentistry.