Los Angeles Porcelain Veneers - Custom Made and Ultra Thin

With No-Grinding Ultra Thin no toothe structure is lost.
The outcome is a healthy natural smile.

Why Have Porcelain Veneers?

Porcelain veneers are custom-made porcelain shells that cover the front side (or the front and backside) of a patient’s tooth. Porcelain veneers can be made of a variety of materials and are bonded with different techniques. They become well integrated to the tooth and provide protection to the patient’s natural tooth. (For examples, view our Porcelain Veneers Case Studies)

Some patients require a reduction of the natural tooth structure in order to have porcelain veneers placed, while others may not need any tooth grinding. Although both types of veneers have been very successful, I have found that using the “no tooth grinding” type of porcelain veneer preserves the health of your teeth. I would recommend the no tooth grinding veneers when possible, but patients should realize that they require extra skill on the part of the dentist in order to achieve natural tooth contours.

Porcelain veneers are a thin shell of porcelain that are the thickness of a contact lense. This particular porcelain veneer is a NON-INVASIVE porcelain veneers. No tooth structure was lost

Dark Colored Teeth & Tetracycline Stain

Tooth discoloration can occur for a number of reasons. Habitual causes, like smoking and drinking dark beverages, are under the control of the patient, but some people have dark teeth for reasons that are out of their hands. Medical causes for discolored teeth include: Tetracycline stain, which occurs when the tetracycline antibiotic is taken while the teeth are forming, and Tooth Enamel Flourosis. Flourosis develops when there is too much fluoride in the enamel, which turns the teeth a dark brown color over a period of years. Teeth get flourosis from natural springs or wells that have huge amounts of naturally occurring fluoride in the water. Neither condition responds well to teeth bleaching, Zoom II, BriteSmile, Opalescence and/or Crest Whitening Strips. Porcelain veneers are an ideal form of treatment because they can be bonded over the top of stained teeth to hide the dark color.

Short teeth or Odd Shaped Teeth

Porcelain veneers not only improve the color, but they can also change the shape of the teeth. Some patients have teeth that are too short or have an unusual shape. The porcelain veneer can fill in indented tooth areas, lengthen teeth or balance the shape of the teeth. (see Los Angeles cosmetic dentist Sam Muslin's case of Josh in our Gallery as an example)

Bad Bite & Porcelain Veneers

The health component that veneers can provide should not be understated. Some patients have a bad bite that is caused from years of wear and grinding. This “collapsed bite”(which makes some look old and grumpy) can be corrected with porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers can lift the patient’s bite and elongate the entire face while replacing the tooth structure that has been lost from years of grinding down the teeth. The dentist and the ceramist build the porcelain over the entire biting surface rather than just over the facial or outside surface. This technique is called Face Lift Dentistry®. Face Lift Dentistry ® is for people of all ages. You do not need to be old to have a bad or uneven bite (see Kingsley in our Face Lift Dentistry Gallery as an example). In these instances, the bite can be improved with veneers but does not need to be lifted or raised.

Bad or Thin Enamel and Porcelain Veneers

Enamel that is thin or weak can be covered with porcelain veneers to protect the remaining tooth structure. Some patients never had solid enamel on their teeth due to early childhood illness or they inherited weak enamel from their parents. Porcelain veneers can be bonded over the enamel to add strength to the tooth. The tooth is strengthened, thickened and better protected with a porcelain veneer bonded to the weak but natural tooth structure.

Sensitive Teeth

Some patients have teeth that are sensitive to hot, cold or sweets. Tooth sensitivity is mainly due to the exposure of the tooth structure. Some patients cannot even take deep breaths in cold air, eat ice cream or drink cold water because of root exposure or thin tooth enamel. Root exposure is caused by gum recession and thin enamel may be genetic or caused by erosion. Whatever the reason for the root exposure, covering the root or covering the thin tooth enamel with porcelain veneers can greatly reduce tooth sensitivity while adding a new protective layer to the teeth.

Sensitive teeth and a narrow smile treated with Porcelain Veneers to cover the
sensitive teeth and widen the smile

Crooked & Yellow Teeth

Teeth that are yellow and crooked, but have no decay, can be improved with porcelain veneers that require no grinding of the natural teeth. Veneer brands, such as Vivineers®, Da Vinci Veneers or Lumineers®, are good choices because they work well, but the most important element is the skill and experience of the cosmetic dentist. Even the highest quality porcelain cannot make up for the trained hand of the dentist.

Porcelain veneers are absolutely the best way to augment your smile and your bite in a way that does not compromise the health of your teeth. In the hands of a skilled dentist, porcelain veneers can look far better than natural teeth and provide a level of desensitization and protection that is beneficial to their health. The skill of the dentist is 95% of the success of the treatment. Without the best most talented dentist, the results are generally marginal at best leading to patient dissatisfaction. The dentist needs to understand the different types and combinations of problems that patients present and be able to handle placing porcelain veneers to the level of satisfaction of the patient.

A Natural Hollywood Smile

Gone are the days of thick bulky ultra-white porcelain veneers. Today clients are striving to enhance their smiles with natural looking veneers. Our Ultra-Thin custom veneers with the correct level of translucency and natural structure are the veneers of choice for the best Hollywood smile.

Renowned Los Angeles Cosmetic Dentist

For the absolute best in porcelain veneers in Los Angeles, be sure to contact Dr. Sam Muslin on (310) 829-6796 for a consultation.