Laminate Veneers

Thin shells of ceramics known as porcelain laminate veneers can be bonded to facial surface of anterior teeth with best esthetic results. When bonded to enamel they take up the strength of enamel and become as strong as the substrate they are bonded to. Periodontal response to porcelain veneers is considered excellent. This case report presents the esthetic management of intrinsic staining because of flourosis.

It has been the goal of the dentist to fabricate esthetic looking restorations since ages. The advancement of ceramics has been exponential over four centuries. The presence of metal in porcelain fused to metal restorations prevents light from passing through as occurs in natural teeth, which reduces the final esthetic result, also the metal ceramic restorations exhibit an undesirable greyline at the gingival margin. The all ceramic systems have changed the entire concept of esthetics from yellowish metal ceramics to metal-free ceramics.

Porcelain laminate veneers are probably the most esthetic means of creating a more pleasing and beautiful smile. They require minimal amount of tooth reduction (approximately .5 mm) and are more conservative restoration than a crown.

Porcelain veneers allow us to alter tooth position, shape, size and color. They are not the only alternative for all esthetic abnormalities but are truly a remarkable restoration when they are the treatment of choice.

Procedure

The patient had relatively long clinical crowns. So it was decided not to involve the incisal edges in the tooth preparation. A three tier diamond depth cutter was used for labial reduction to a depth of 0.5 mm. After preparation of the orientation groove, the remainder of the tooth surface was reduced using round end tapered diamond point. All efforts were made during tooth preparation to remain in enamel, not exposing the dentin since bonding to enamel is most reliable and ensures long lasting and strong bonds. The preparation was extended till the interproximal contact areas without opening the contact points. A deep chamfer margin was prepared. The finishing was done using extrafine diamond point.