Porcelain veneers are intended to enhance your smile. But in the hands of the wrong provider, your smile transformation can leave you disappointed. What causes porcelain veneers to be too shiny? And what can be done about it? The accredited cosmetic dentists at the Atlanta Center for Cosmetic Dentistry can explain and provide you with options to achieve the smile you really want.
What Makes Porcelain Veneers Shine?
Glaze is baked onto porcelain veneers. And when it is properly applied, glaze has several benefits:
- Stain resistance – Glaze protects porcelain from stain. Unglazed porcelain is abrasive and will attract and retain stains. The brightness of your veneers will diminish.
- Natural sparkle – Natural—not excessive—sparkle is achieved when glaze is properly applied to your veneers. If it’s overdone, your porcelain veneers will look fake.
- Natural texture – Tooth enamel has texture. When glaze is properly applied to porcelain, it will reflect the variations of texture in natural teeth.
What If They Are Too Shiny?
At the Atlanta Center for Cosmetic Dentistry, we have received patients from other dental practices who are dissatisfied with their veneers for various reasons. One way our cosmetic dentists avoid patient dissatisfaction is by incorporating your preferences in the smile design and requesting your feedback throughout the process.
From the start we will listen to your preferences for tooth size, shape, color, and brightness. You’ll be able to try on temporary veneers that look like the porcelain veneers you will receive. If you tell us your temporary veneers are too shiny, we will adjust the brightness. If necessary, we will even have your porcelain veneers remade to ensure the smile you want is the smile you receive. But the need to remake porcelain veneers is rare because we don’t craft them unless you have approve the provisional veneers.
Can the glaze be changed?
After glaze is applied to porcelain veneers, attempts to remove it can destroy the veneers or their natural appearance. If you have super shiny veneers that you really don’t want to live with, they will need to be replaced.
What’s Next?
At the Atlanta Center for Cosmetic Dentistry, our cosmetic dentists realize that your smile is an important part of your identity and an expression of your personality. It’s important to get it right so you can smile with confidence. If you are dissatisfied with veneers that you have received from another practice, contact us to schedule a consultation. When you meet with Dr. King or another one of our cosmetic dentist’s your options will be explained.
The photos below show how Pearls ultra-thin veneers can be used to provide natural-looking tooth shape, color, and gloss.