DENTAL VENEERS for that Beautiful California Smile
Hollywood Veneers: Teeth Prepared Under Zeiss Surgical Microscope
Dental veneers are thin shells of porcelain that are made to fit over the teeth improving the shape and colour. Standard veneers require minimal tooth preparation, Lumineers require no tooth preparation and Hollywood Veneers require elaborate and precise tooth preparation under a surgical microscope. The laboratory fabrication of these thin ceramic shells requires skill, precision and artistry. Dr. Wright studied and latterly taught his techinique to dentists at the UCLA Center for Esthetic Dentistry and at the Newport Coast Oral Facial Institute in Orange County, California. This technique is now available to discerning patients in London.
Hollywood Veneers require the use of a surgical microscope during tooth preparation and laboratory fabrication. Tooth preparation for veneers requires precision and skill. Likewise the laboratory fabrication of these thin ceramic shells.
The quality of veneers varies dramatically. It is like comparing fine china to earthenware.
Dental veneers have evolved significantly over the last ten years. The least sophisticated variety is where the dentist does not touch the tooth (no-prep veneers/Lumineers) but simply takes an impression (mould)and sends this to the dental laboratory who, in turn, makes porcelain laminates which are bonded onto the front of the teeth like "artificial fingernails". These tend to look bulky and false. We call those "peppermint teeth".
Los Angeles is recognised by the dental profession as being the mecca of cosmetic dentistry with three world class dental schools in the area. Driven by Hollywood, ever greater pressures are put on dentistry to provide higher levels of aesthetic treatment. If you like trivia; there is more aesthetic plastic surgery performed in the Los Angeles area than the combined amount performed in the rest of the world.
Dental Veneers have been evolving over the last fifteen years. During this period dentine and enamel bonding agents and techniques have become ever more sophisticated. Porcelain manufacturers have contributed to the evolution by introducing exquisite ceramics that have more vitality and greater strength. In more recent years tooth preparation and finishing techniques have seen significant modifications. The porcelain laminate veneer was conceived as a conservative restoration for masking badly discoloured or misshapened teeth.
Dr. Wright was in practice with three world famous dentists and taught alongside some others at UCLA Centre for Esthetic Dentistry for three years. To create a truly excellent restoration takes skill, time and dedication on the part of the dentist and his or her dental ceramist and cooperation from the patient. American-trained prosthodontists are taught to be dental ceramists and prosthetic technicians as well as knowledgeable and skillfull clinicians. Without a comprehensive working knowledge of dental technology a dentist can never evolve beyond a certain threshold. He or she will reach a plateau and have to live with a certain level of frustration when dealing with dental laboratories and technicians. It is essential to have a on-site dental laboratory in your practice if you are to achieve optimum results for your patient and yourself. An on-site laboratory in itself is not a guarantee of success or quality however, but the absence of one does suggests something to Dr. Wright who could not practice prosthodontics without one.
The Hollywood Veneer is not a static but rather a continuously evolving aesthetic treatment restoration. There is a different set of tooth preparations with associated highly sophisticated laboratory techniques. It is not a procedure than can be used on everyone. In many situations conventional veneers, ceramic crowns or combination treatments may be the preferred or only choice. These are selected cases to demonstrate the three most common aesthetic restorations. Further discussion is speculative and of limited value without a clinical examination of the patient's dentition and occlusion (bite).