Question:
How much of my teeth should be ground down prior to porcelain veneers?
Answer:
In the most ideal situation, no tooth structure is removed. The porcelain veneer is bonding to the patient’s tooth enamel. All of the tooth structure is saved and in fact, the porcelain veneer actually protects the patients natural tooth structure for many years. Imagine aging 30 years and visualizing how your teeth could look. Over 30 years, teeth wear down, the enamel turns yellow, and the tooth structure gets thinner and chips. All of this tooth wear is eliminated with porcelain veneers protecting the patient teeth. The porcelain veneer takes the 30 year of wear and abuse.
Sometimes it is indicated to remove some of the patients tooth structure if the teeth are crooked. Porcelain veneers can provide instant braces in just 2 weeks. The patient can have straight white teeth in just two weeks but some minor amounts of tooth structure are removed.
