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The demographics of smile makeovers is changing very quickly nationwide. Smile makeovers are no longer solely the domain of 30 to 40 year olds. Now we are finding more of our elective cosmetic cases are being requested by women over the age of 50. This patient always wanted a beautiful smile and finally at age 77, asked for it!
Most of the upper teeth in this photograph are covered by thin sheaths of ceramic fashioned to create the contours that this very sophisticated client from Chicago's Gold Coast requested. See the before and after photos of this patient who was also a bruxer (had worn teeth due to nightime tooth grinding).
No-prep, prep-less, or low preparation veneers
Sample images at bottom of page
One of the newer innovations in cosmetic dentistry is the technological development of dental porcelains used for porcelain veneers or porcelain laminates that can be created ultra-thin (as thin as 0.2mm) and still be strong and durable. Teamed with world famous ceramist Matt Roberts CDT, our office is proud to announce the development of the No-Preparation Veneer system, the newest most advanced dental restorative product in the world today. No or low-preparation styles now allow Dr. Fondriest to restore smiles with natural contours (not thick or overcontoured) with zero or minimal tooth reduction! These thin sheets of porcelain bond directly to the healthy tooth enamel with imperceptible or no tooth reduction and in many cases no anesthesia.
Unlike the similar highly marketed product, Lumineers, our no or minimal reduction versions are built with multiple artistic layers with varying colors and levels of translucency of porcelain as opposed to the single colored one-dimensional Lumineers. Much greater and natural esthetics can be achieved with no removal of enamel.
Many patients are uneasy and hesitant about having any enamel removed, especially when the teeth are in a healthy condition. No-preparatiion or low-preparation laminates offer the conservatism of composite bonding while delivering the durability and beauty of regular porcelain veneers. These thin translucent ceramic sheets are basically show-through and manifest a contact lens effect, allowing the normal color of the natural enamel beneath to come through while fixing any imperfections or blemishes and improving the overall shape and symmetry. This type of restoration is especially useful when the teeth are too small, due to wear or genes.
What determines how much tooth reduction is needed?
The amount of reduction is a factor that needs significant discussion when planning your treatment choices. The amount of tooth reduction should be matched to your goals and priorities. There are positives and negatives with both heavy and light enamel removal which significantly affect the quality of outcome. Veneers with minimal reduction are a good choice when modest improvement in symmetry and tooth alignment is desired as well as making a more uniform surface morphology. The best cases for the more conservative designs are those without diastemas (gaps or spaces between the teeth), no gingival recession, or loss of gum papillae. Conservatively prepared laminates are not a good choice when the goal is to change the brightness of the teeth.
If the case selection is not ideal, minimal-preparation laminates can be more technically challenging for the practitioner and the technician than with conventional designs. The practitioner is responsible to control undercuts, create a line of draw, and to hide margins. Significant improvements in outcome can be achieved with small amounts of tooth preparation to create a margin, to open buccal and incisal embrasures, to ensure a line of draw, and to round out sharp edges.
Ten conservative porcelain veneers were placed on the upper teeth of this actual patient. Veneers were used to change the shapes and to remove the color blemishes of her teeth.
Seven veneers with only a small amount of enamel removal were done on the upper front teeth were done to lengthen them and to fill the gaps or spaces between his teeth and to broaden the smile.
See before and after example of how prepless or minimally invasive veneers can be used.
Lake Forest Dental Arts serves the greater Chicago area, including the North Shore suburbs of Highland Park, Northbrook, Deerfield, Glenview, Winnetka, Lincolnshire, Lake Bluff, Libertyville, Barrington, Hawthorne Woods, Kildeer, Gurnee, Grayslake, and Vernon Hills.
