What are Veneers?

What are Veneers?

A great smile says a thousand words. And when we don’t feel completely happy with our smile, this could really set us back. Life happens, right?! Chipped or cracked teeth, tooth loss, aging, and discoloration are all unavoidable factors that can leave you desiring a smile makeover and porcelain veneers are the way to achieve this. And not those perfect, pearly whites you see on movie screens – many agree that those are not realistic. We specialise in natural subtlety and personalisation: natural looking veneers that closely mimic the translucencies and natural inclusions of natural teeth. Have you road-tested one or many of the DIY teeth whitening kits or toothpastes out there, yet none of them seem to do the trick? Or perhaps even after braces, you’re still looking to improve the overall shape and direction of your teeth. Dr Shawn and the team at The Dental Room are adept at providing smile makeovers with first class, bespoke porcelain veneers as a practical and realistic way of improving your look. Our commitment to custom veneers even goes as far as having our very own master ceramist and ceramic lab in-house, for the most seamless experience imaginable. SO, what are veneers teeth? And more importantly, what are porcelain veneers? You’ve come to the right place – both in terms of finding out everything you need to know about veneers on this page, and then ultimately, to find the smile you’ve always dreamed about. Read on to find out more.

What is veneer teeth?

Veneers – or porcelain veneers which The Dental Room specialises in – are very thin sheets of porcelain which are attached to the front surface of your teeth to improve the overall aesthetics of your smile. The permanently bonded veneer is designed to mask the tooth’s natural colour, shape, or positioning in the mouth. You may be wondering what the difference is between veneers vs crowns (both of which, we can assist with!). A crown is a type of dental covering that is used to protect a tooth that presents with structural issues. It covers the whole tooth, and acts as a shield for the remaining portion. When assessing between the two, Dr Shawn and his team of highly skilled experts prefer to stay on the conservative side – any time you can build on someone’s own tooth (rather than cutting it down as you would find with a crown), it is going to last longer. Porcelain veneers are perfect for those who are looking to improve the colour, shape, size, and width of a smile. Veneers can also fix a number of dental issues such as staining, chipping, old restorations, and fillings, an uneven smile, spacing problems, crowding, a poor bite and even internal staining from fluorosis or antibiotics. And did you know that veneers could also help make the cheeks fuller and increase the support of the lips to give them plumpness – all of which could help make your appearance more youthful. Porcelain veneers can be used to cover just one tooth, or multiple teeth for a more complete look, plus they are versatile enough to be customised to suit both teeth and budget. A great cosmetic dentist in Australia can do a lot more with veneers to enhance a smile, than any other cosmetic dental treatment – so it’s a great option to look into.

What are dental veneers made of and are veneers permanent?

Unlike other clinics, all of our work is done in our own state-of-the-art in-house lab, by our talented master ceramist Ms Chloe Park – who carefully hand-makes each ceramic veneer with complete detail and to the highest standard. Chloe sits in on planning sessions with clients from as early as the initial consultation, which means the process is very collaborative and seamless from the get-go. Chloe’s veneer-creation process includes getting the texture, colour, translucency, and even studying how light reflects off them right. 90 percent of the time, Dr Shawn doesn’t need to shave away any more than 0.5 millimetres of the tooth structure (the thickness of your fingernail, to put it into perspective!), in order to achieve exceptional results. This shaving technique creates longer-lasting veneers (typically 10-15 years) and helps reduce your sensitivity to hot and cold drinks, not to mention leads to less postoperative complications. Here at The Dental Room, you can be assured your experience will be completely comfortable and safe.

Porcelain or composite veneers?

When it comes to veneers, you may ask what are composite veneers and how do they compare to porcelain? There are some noticeable differences between the two, so it’s worth researching. Resin materials have advanced over the years, now with better polishing capability, and a variety of colours to choose from which allows mimicking of the tooth and light reflection. Despite this, porcelain is a far stronger material than resin, and porcelain veneers have a translucent quality that is quite similar to the tooth enamel, leaving your pearly whites looking more natural. Not to mention – porcelain veneers have strength and durability, plus they’re a perfect solution for all cases of worn enamel, wear and tear, genetic defects, and uneven teeth… the list goes on! Direct composite veneers can be fabricated while you wait, making it a same-day treatment. They’re actually applied directly to your teeth, where they can be shaped and sculpted by the dentist. Minimal preparation work is required on your natural teeth, meaning they are not permanently altered, and therefore future reversibility is possible. On the flip side, however, composite veneers are not suitable for severe concerns, for instance discoloration or spacing issues may not be adequately treatable by composite veneers and therefore porcelain veneers are your best option. Composite veneers cost between $250 and $650 per tooth and last between five and seven years. When considering porcelain veneers, it’s important to consider the value of this treatment, as well maintained porcelain veneers can last from 10 to 15 years. Our best advice is to book in for a smile consultation so we can determine your options.

Pros & Cons of veneers

It’s important to weigh up the pros and cons of veneers, to ensure you are fully informed when it comes to choosing how you’d like to transform your smile. The pros of porcelain veneers are: Natural qualities – porcelain veneers will provide the most natural-looking end results, due to the material replicating many of the same qualities as that of enamel. With our own master ceramist Chloe creating each individual veneer by hand, and ensuring the texture, colour, translucency, and even how the light reflects off them is just right, we make it our duty to provide a smile that is both bespoke but also extremely natural in its appearance Strength and durability – Porcelain is the strongest material we have. Porcelain veneers are bonded to the underlying tooth structure, therefore there is a chemical adhesion between the tooth and veneer on a microscopic level, ensuring longevity. Providing the teeth are taken care of, veneers can last between 10-15 years – much longer than any other aesthetic dental procedure Lack of staining (hello red wine and coffee!) – Unlike resin bonding or natural teeth, porcelain veneers tend not to stain. They’re glazed in the oven in the final stages, and this minimises staining.

The cons of porcelain veneers is:

Price – As discussed, it is more costly to opt for porcelain veneers. Each smile makeover journey starts with a consultation with Dr Shawn Rama – for $170. We aim to provide entirely handcrafted porcelain veneers of the highest quality and with complete customisation. The price of the procedure will also depend on each individual case and personal needs. At The Dental Room, we offer personalised porcelain veneer packages which include:

• Photos, impressions, and digital radiology
• 1-hour in-chair teeth whitening or take-home kit
• Porcelain veneers which are hand crafted at our in-house dental laboratory
• Review appointments

To discuss your smile journey and payment options, we recommend booking in an initial consultation with Dr Shawn, valued at $170.

A little more involved – A small amount of the tooth will need to be removed off the surface to be replaced with the veneer. The amount to be shaven down really depends on the dentist, but here at The Dental Room, Dr Shawn in 90-95% of cases will only remove 0.2 / 0.5mm of a tooth – basically the thickness of a fingernail. And in some cases, there may be no need to shave the tooth structure at all (these are called prepless veneers!). This is usually a painless process as it is completed under anaesthetic and here at The Dental Room, we’ve streamlined our process for comfort. For 10 porcelain veneers, you could be in the chair for roughly 3-4 hours – but the result will be well worth the wait. Overall, there are many more advantages than disadvantages in opting for porcelain veneers. It’s advised to book in an original smile consultation, where you can discuss all of your options with Dr Shawn and team.

What to expect at The Dental Room

From your very first visit to The Dental Room, you can expect a warm and friendly welcome. What sets us apart from other clinics is the environment we create – from unprecedented access to leading cosmetic dentist Dr Shawn Rama and in-house ceramist Ms Chloe Park, to the amazing attention and quality care you receive along the way, not to mention next level customisation that we offer. We help clients from within Melbourne, but also interstate and internationally. If coming from within Melbourne, the veneer process takes around 7 days, and for interstate or internationally, this can be completed in 5 days. In your initial smile consult, Dr Shawn and Chloe will meet you to discuss your current concerns, desired outcomes, examine your smile, provide recommendations and pricing. In the next stage, which is the planning stage, Dr Shawn and his ceramist will use 3D scans, moulds, high resolution facial photography and radiographs to study and create your improved smile using facial aesthetic principles. At your next appointment recommendations will be shown to you, sometimes even digitally so you can see what your new smile will look like. Your next appointment will take place over half a day, and this is where Dr Shawn will prepare your teeth by shaping them slightly. Moulds are taken and temporary veneers fitted. This will allow you to test drive your new, improved smile for a week. This process is done completely under local anaesthetic and is therefore painless – phew! We encourage clients to return two days later to provide feedback on the look of their temporary veneers as this is when there is still the opportunity to refine the shapes, lengths, and anything else to your liking. Adjustments will then be made to the temporary veneers and a copy is taken by Ms Chloe Park to ensure feedback is taken into account in the creation of your final veneers. The last stage is a very exciting half-day appointment where you’ll leave with your new smile! Your temporary veneers will be removed, your new porcelain veneers tried for accurate fit, and a review can take place. The fact that we have our own ceramist on site means that we have the unique ability to make any more modifications to fit, shape, translucency, and colour immediately, to ensure your end result is perfect for you. Finally the veneers are permanently bonded, once again – under local anaesthetic so totally pain-free. And voilà – you’re good to go, with your desired smile intact! For more information on the veneers process, visit > here. Dr Shawn Rama is the Principal Dentist and Founder of The Dental Room with more than 20 years’ experience in his field. Over the years, he has steadily raised his profile as one of Australia’s elite dentists in the field of aesthetic dentistry, and along with his top in-house ceramist, is adept at designing customised, bespoke, porcelain veneers that transform smiles. Dr Shawn has created a unique clinic where as soon as you step in the door, you are greeted by warm and friendly dental professionals that put you first as the client, delivering an exceptional experience every time. Contact us on (03) 9857 3988 or book an appointment with us online here.