Veneers

Dr. Hughes and the Pacer Dental staff know the impact that a great smile can have and Porcelain Veneers are one way to get that great smile!

Porcelain veneers are a fantastic way to repair or enhance the appearance of front teeth. They can be used to whiten teeth, close spaces and create a great smile. Using veneers, we can even perform virtually "instant orthodontics" to straighten crooked teeth and give you the bright smile you always wanted.

Veneers are very thin, tooth-colored shells that are custom-fit and bonded to the front of the teeth to give you a bright, white, even and attractive smile. Commonly made of composite (plastic) or porcelain, veneers make it possible to correct a variety of color and shape problems. Veneers can:

Reduce or eliminate spaces between the teeth (diastemas)
Repair broken or chipped teeth
Whiten dark teeth, yellow teeth, permanently stained teeth or otherwise discolored teeth
Correct misshapen or crooked teeth
Close small holes or pits in teeth
Improve the appearance of teeth that are too small, too big, or uneven

What are the different kinds of veneers?

There are two kinds of veneers:

Composite or direct veneers, where a special plastic is molded and bonded directly to the tooth in one appointment; and
Porcelain or indirect veneers, where thin shells are custom-made in a lab and applied to the teeth. These require two appointments: one for taking an impression, and a second for preparing the natural teeth and placing the veneers once they have been created. Lumineers are a new kind of porcelain veneers that are so thin they require minimal to no tooth removal.

What are the steps of porcelain veneer placement?

At your first appointment, Dr. Hughes and staff will shape the teeth with the least amount of shaping possible (sometimes none). Next he will take an impression of your teeth so he can create veneers that are appropriate for your individual smile. Sometimes temporaries are made for the period waiting for the finished veneers.

During your second appointment, the natural teeth that will be receiving veneers are cleaned. We will hold the veneers to your teeth to confirm that they are the correct shape, size and color, and then we bond the veneers in place with the help of an etching solution and a special light. The veneers will last for about 10-15 years.

Why choose veneers over crowns?

Veneers often do not require much (if any) removal of the natural tooth material.

Teeth Whitening

Before Teeth Whitening

After Teeth Whitening

Bleaching products brighten teeth that have been stained or darkened by food, tobacco use, age or injury. Pacer Dental wants you to have the very best smile possible and the perfect compliment to a great smile is white teeth! Since we would like you to get the level of whitening you are wanting, we recommend a combination of in-office whitening followed by trays and gel to wear outside the office. The reason is no two people are alike. Once in a while, the in-office whitening is enough but usually it just provides a great jump start. By providing trays and gel to wear after the in-office whitening, a patient can wear the trays as long as they need until they achieve the level of whiteness desired.

What does in-office whitening or bleaching involve?

In-office bleaching, also called chair-side bleaching takes place with an hour and a half appointment at our office. Prior to this visit, the patient’s teeth will be examined and cleaned to make sure there are no cavities, loose fillings, gum problems or other issues that may be exacerbated by the bleaching process. Once all these conditions are satisfied, the patient is appointed for the in-office procedure. It involves cleaning, etching, applying bleaching material repeatedly over time and the use of a special ultraviolet light shone on the teeth to facilitate the process.

Bleaching with trays outside the office

At the end of the in-office visit, the patient is provided with a custom-fit mouth tray. Then a bleaching gel, a hydrogen peroxide solution, is provided so the patient can apply it to their teeth via the tray. The trays are usually worn for about three hours a day until the desired level of whiteness is reached.