Crowns and veneers are a great way for us to be able to restore teeth to their natural shape, appearance and function. At Kilmore Dental & Specialist Centre, all of our general dentists are skilled in providing this treatment for you. Thorough examination and treatment planning is undertaken prior to commencing any crowns or veneers and our dentists will always openly discuss the pros and cons of any particular treatment option before deciding upon it. They are always happy to answer any questions you may have.
Veneers
A veneer is a type of tooth restoration that only covers the surface of the tooth that can be seen in your smile – it is a treatment option designed to enhance the aesthetic appearance of your teeth and will generally be done on more than one tooth at a time. They can be suitable for teeth which are:
- Darkened or discoloured for any reason
- Chipped or worn down
- Crooked, uneven or poorly positioned
- Widely spaced, with gaps in between the teeth.
What are composite veneers?
What are ceramic (or porcelain) veneers?
Treatment for ceramic veneers will often cover several appointments. After examining your teeth and taking x-rays, the dentist will start with a discussion on what treatment may be appropriate. If ceramic veneers are being considered, photographs will be taken and you may also have an iTero intraoral scan at this stage which helps us to visualise the planned changes to your teeth. Depending on the degree of planned change to the shape of your teeth, we may organise a process named diagnostic modelling. This involves our partner lab Bioart designing the shape of your new veneers and 3D printing us a model of your new teeth. From here we can take a mould of the model and place trial veneer material over your teeth. The great benefit of this is that you get to see, feel and speak with your new teeth, all before actually going ahead with the procedure! Read more on our digital dentistry page.
Once you decide to go ahead the main procedure of preparing your teeth is undertaken and after completion an iTero digital scan is taken so that the dental ceramist is able to fabricate the ceramic veneers. You will likely have some temporary veneers on your teeth for about two weeks while waiting for the final veneers to be ready. Once they are received by us they are carefully bonded into place by our dentists and then your new smile is yours to enjoy!
Crowns
A crown is a tooth restoration that covers all of the surfaces of the tooth. It can be recommended when a tooth with a large filling is in danger of further breakdown. A crown can help to prevent cracks and fractures which may have otherwise led to the loss of the tooth. It delivers an outstanding aesthetic result as it uses highly aesthetic dental ceramics to cover stained and discoloured tooth structure or old metal fillings.
A crown is a two visit procedure. At the first visit the tooth is prepared to the correct shape to enable room for the crown to properly fit over the tooth. Our iTero intraoral digital scanner is used to record the shape of the tooth and its surrounds. A temporary crown is then placed onto your teeth so that you can carry on as normal between the two visits. Our partner lab Bioart in Kew, Victoria then goes about custom fabricating your new ceramic crown. We give instructions on the shade of the crown and often take photographs so that it can harmoniously match with your other teeth. At the second and final visit the crown is cemented into place and you’re good to go!