San Diego Cosmetic Dentist

Porcelain veneers come in three different types: composite resin, porcelain and Lumineers. Composite resin veneers are rarely used in today's cosmetic dentistry. However, both porcelain veneers and Lumineers are popular for their own characteristics. It is important that you entrust the placement of your new veneers to a skilled and caring cosmetic dentist such as Dr. James Loye of San Diego, California.

Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are used to lighten the color of a patient's teeth or change the shape of them. One or more teeth can be done depending on your desired effect. A smaller amount of the tooth is removed than with composite resin veneers. Then, a thin layer of porcelain is constructed and cemented to the tooth in order to change its appearance.

Advantages of porcelain veneers include:

• A more realistic appearance
• More strength and durability
• A better result in shape and color
• Less time in the dentist's chair
• The look and feel of natural teeth
• Stain resistance and lasting appearance
• Less wear than composite resin veneers

Lumineers
Lumineers are basically a high-tech version of porcelain veneers made from Cerinate porcelain which offers a near perfect match to the properties and appearance of real tooth enamel. This material also offers dentists the ability to restore teeth with a veneer that is no thicker than a contact lens, but extremely durable and removable. Lumineers are used to cover stained, chipped, deformed or worn teeth to produce near perfect and instant results. They require less preparation time of the natural teeth, less discomfort for the patient and less effort on the part of the dentist.

If you are considering veneers to improve the appearance of your teeth and smile, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. James Loye of Carmel Creek Dental in San Diego, California today.

Your smile is more than just your teeth. If you're not showing enough white when you smile, it could be that your teeth are just short, in which case porcelain veneers might be the answer, but it could also be that your teeth are just fine. Instead, it may be your gums that are the problem.

Normally, our gums recede during puberty to reveal more of our teeth, but for some people this does not occur. This makes your teeth appear short (a characteristic of older smiles), and your smile gummy.

For other people, the gums are the proper size, but their shape does not give your smile the proper scalloped contour.

Both of these problems can be addressed with laser gum recontouring. In this procedure, a laser is used to shape your gums so that they reveal the full length of your teeth and give each tooth the proper rounded appearance. The procedure is quick and virtually painless.

To learn more about laser gum recontouring, contact cosmetic dentist Dr. James Loye at Carmel Creek Dental today.