Dental bonding veneers are also call chairside veneers in Minneapolis

One technique your dentist can use for cosmetically improving the appearance of teeth is to cover the outside, front surfaces of the most visible teeth with veneers. The most asthetically pleasing and long lasting veneers are porcelain veneers. Another method, however, called dental bonding — also known as chairside veneers — is an alternative approach to creating a veneer on the tooth's surface. It is a much less expensive approach to creating veneers, with other advantages, and with some disadvantages to porcelain veneers.

What are chairside veneers?

The dentist makes a chairside veneer by removing a small amount of the tooth's outer front surface, then replacing it with white composite material. This composite material has an asthetic look that can remove gaps, stained, and even misshapened teeth. The material is a resine composite material that bonds directly to the tooth's structure, creating a strong veneer.

Advantages of chairside veneers

Chairside veneers provide the dental patient wanting cosmetic dentistry with a much more affordable solution over porcelain veneers, costing sometimes as little as one third that of porcelain veneers. Also, when preparing the teeth, much less tooth structure needs to be removed by the dentist to add the chairside veneer, and this is always a good thing for the teeth. Another advantage is that chairside veneers can be made in just one visit to the dental office as opposed to two visits for porcelain veneers.

Disadvantages of chairside veneers

One disadvantage of a chairside veneer is that, although they wear well, they will chip and break on occasion; fortunately a chairside veneer is in most cases easy for the dentist to repair (perhaps we should call that an advantage!). Another disadvantage is that — over time — a chairside veneer is much more likely to discolor. Finally, and most importantly, a chairside veneer does not have the look of a real tooth as much as a porcelain veneer does.

Which type of veneer is right for you?

Porcelain veneers give the most asthetically pleasing and most long lasting result dentistry provides. At the same time, if they are financially out of reach, chairside veneers are a great alternative if affordable. A good discussion of all this with Dr. Meysman, of course, is a great way to start.

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