Porcelain veneers are long-lasting and durable, but they’re not invincible. If you chipped one of your porcelain veneers, it can be a very noticeable defect in your otherwise perfect smile. The problem is, many dentists will tell you that you have to live with that defect for a while.
But what if you can’t live with that defect? If you have a special occasion coming up, one where you have to make a major personal appearance or are going to have pictures taken, you can’t put off replacing that veneer.
The good news is, you really don’t have to. Dr. Ken Siegel can replace your porcelain veneer in a day.
Why Replacing Veneers Can Take Time
Most of the time, porcelain veneers are crafted in a lab. Your impressions and smile design are sent to the ceramicist, who manufactures the veneers. It’s the process of sending the veneers away that takes most of the time, although the process of forming, pressing, firing, and polishing takes some time, too.
It’s rare to be able to turn around veneers in less than a week at the lab, though some can do it. Most of the time, then, a dentist will tell you that you’ll just have to accept the chip or an inferior temporary for your special occasion.
How CEREC Lets Us Replace Veneers Fast
However, CEREC allows us to replace a lost or damaged porcelain veneer in one visit. CEREC is a computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system. We can scan your teeth digitally, then design a replacement veneer on the computer. Finally, the replacement will be crafted just as designed using a diamond mill that carves it out of a pre-fired block of ceramic.
Because it’s all ceramic, precisely color-matched, and polished to perfection, it will look just like your other veneers. No one will be able to tell that it’s a replacement. Best of all, the pattern will be saved in the computer so that if you happen to have the same veneer damaged again, heaven forbid, it can be replaced even faster.
If you need a quick replacement for a lost porcelain veneer in Philadelphia, please call (610) 272-0828 for an appointment with a cosmetic dentist at Dental Excellence of Blue Bell.
