Chairside or Direct Tooth Veneers
What is a chairside tooth veneer or a direct composite veneer?
Is a direct composite veneer different than a porcelain veneer? This blog will answer some basic questions about the differences between direct composite veneers which are also called ‘chairside veneers’ and porcelain veneers.
Prior to cosmetic bonding
The patient above was concerned about the appearance of her front four teeth. She had heard about ‘cosmetic bonding’ and about the office of Dr. Julie Gillis and she wanted some options. These were her main concerns:
- Conservative treatment that did not involve much tooth preparation
- Minimize the appearance of the white blotchy ‘stripes’ on the front teeth
- Removing the white and brown stains from the front of the four front teeth
- Achieving these goals with a low cost – she had heard about the cost of porcelain veneers and wondered if she had other options
After treatment of the front four teeth with direct cosmetic bonding (chairside veneers).
So what are the differences between direct composite veneers which are also called
chairside veneers and porcelain veneers?
Teeth prior to restoration with direct composite veneers.
Teeth following restoration with direct composite veneers.
- A direct composite veneer is built directly on the surface of the tooth whereas a porcelain veneer is made by a laboratory technician and bonded to the tooth usually at a separate appointment.
- The preparation for a direct composite veneer is usually less than for a porcelain veneer. The amount of tooth removed (tooth preparation) is as conservative as possible to allow room for the improvement desired while conserving healthy tooth structure. Even though porcelain veneers can be very conservative, for a porcelain veneer, enough tooth needs to be removed to allow for strength and so that the thickness of the porcelain veneer on top of the tooth to feel and look normal
- Direct veneers or chairside veneers usually cost considerably less than the cost of a porcelain veneer and the result is immediate – no waiting for lab time.
- Direct veneers are made from a composite material that is made with very specific particles of porcelain held together with a resin matrix
- As a general rule direct composite veneers are more likely to stain and chip and have a shorter lifespan compared to porcelain veneers but there is a lot of variability here. The skill of the dentist, the dental team, the lab technician and care taken by the patient all effect how long these restorations last.
- Both direct composite veneers and porcelain veneers require considerable cosmetic dentistry skills to complete successfully with excellent appearance and longevity
In our office, we are happy to provide our patient’s with options for improving their smile. Direct composite bonding was a perfect choice for our patient! Please call our Grand Junction Colorado office at (970) 242-3635 if you have questions about options for your teeth. We would love to see you! Or visit our website at www.juliegillisdds.com for more information. When you stop by our office or any dental office, ask to see photos demonstrating the work completed in our office or in the office where you go for dental care.
Yours for better dental health,
Julie Gillis, DDS, AAACD
Restoring Teeth, Restoring Smiles