Are you happy with the appearance of your smile?

  Wish you could do something about it?

   You can with as few as two visits!

Porcelain veneers can cover up discolored teeth, repair a damaged tooth or change the shape or size of your teeth and allow you to smile beautifully again. Porcelain veneers are extremely strong and will not pick up stains like natural teeth and porcelain veneers retain their luster.

Are your teeth crooked? Porcelain veneers are like instant orthodontics. That's right in as few as two visits you can straighten your teeth by placing porcelain veneers that would take braces years to complete.

There are different types of porcelain veneers. Some veneers are placed on the teeth with no preparation. This works great if the teeth are small and you want to increase the size of the tooth. Because a veneer has thickness, even extremely thin ones, the veneers will increase the size of the tooth. A peg lateral is a candidate for a no prep veneer. The minimal prep veneers, can be done if there is no filling in the tooth, the tooth size is to be increased slightly and there is no crowding of the teeth. Standard preparation veneers are placed on teeth where you need to maintain or decrease the size of the tooth, there is crowding or you need to shift the tooth left or right or want to shorten the tooth. Most porcelain veneers fall in the minimal prep or the stardard prep categories.

The properties of porcelain veneers are as close to tooth structure as you can get, they reflect and transmit light through them like natural teeth, it is hard to tell you have anything on them.

Not all dentists are alike. Even though a dental license will allow someone to place porcelain veneers, it is the skill, knowledge and artistry of the trained dentist that will allow for the most beautiful results. Your teeth are a reflection of who you are and there are many different smile design choices. Dr. Widen will listen to our guest and learn their desires. When he understands what our guest is looking for he will co-design the case and determine the form, size, shape and color of the veneers. We will discuss how many teeth are necessary to veneer to achieve the result the guest wants to accomplish. The porcelain veneer case, as well as photographs, measurements and other information for the ceramist, is then sent to the lab to have a wax-up of the final product made. This way Dr. Widen and our guest can see what the final porcelain veneer shape will be before the case is even started. When the wax-up is received from the lab it is examined to see if it meets our desires.

Once the wax up is approved, the fun can begin. This is a two appointment procedure. The first appointment is the preparation phase. A small amount of enamel is removed off the front of the tooth and sometimes in between the teeth. We must remove any decay and any old fillings that would interfere with the longevity of the porcelain veneer case. Then an impression is made. The impression is sent to the lab and the lab makes the required amount of porcelain veneers and sent back to the office in Chicago.
While the laboratory is crafting your beautiful smile you have temporaries on your prepared teeth that will be very similar to the wax-up we created and the final product. In the meantime you get to try out your smile. We call this a Trial Smile. It is at this time and before the lab finishes the case for you to make any changes you would like in you finished smile.
At the next visit, Dr. Widen will try in the porcelain veneers to make sure our guest is happy with the final result. When the guest approves the veneers he will bond, trim and polish the veneers. The seating is usually a time consuming appointment and can last for hours. But usually quite worth the wait. Compared to crowns, porcelain veneers are a more conservative method for restoring your beautiful, healthy smile.

Porcelain veneers not only restore your teeth, but improve your appearance and self-confidence. People are sometimes hesitant to smile because of the way their front teeth look, after placing porcelain veneers you can smile freely again. Please visit our Porcelain Veneers Smile Gallery to see some before and after photos of porcelain veneers and crown cases that Dr. Widen has completed. If you are interested in porcelain veneers please call 1-312-266-0044 for a complimentary consultation.