Services
Veneers
Something to Smile About
Feeling the need or desire to change the appearance of one or more teeth? Veneers can be done discreetly yet allow a person to dynamically change the way they are perceived with their new smile. They are placed on the front surface of the teeth to improve the shape, color, close spaces, repair decay and or to correct wear and trauma. They are no thicker than a finger nail, but do not let their dainty size deceive you, the transformations can be impressive! Please read on to learn more about enhancing your smile.
What are Porcelain Veneers?
Porcelain veneers are a thin, semi-translucent laminate permanently bonded to your teeth. While they’re not suitable for every patient, porcelain veneers are the most aesthetic alternative for a variety of dental conditions involving the front teeth, including:
- Diastemas (spaces between teeth)
- Broken or chipped teeth
- Unsightly, stained or washed out fillings
- Permanently stained or discolored teeth that can’t be bleached
- Crooked teeth
How are Cosmetic Veneers different from Bonding or Dental Crowns?
Bonding is a resin filling material that was used for several years to cover the front surface of teeth. Today, we generally use bonding only to fill in small surfaces or cavities and repair chips in teeth. A full dental crown is used when a tooth has had root canal treatment, or when a substantial amount of the entire tooth structure (enamel) has been lost. Cosmetic veneers can be placed on teeth to make your smile look natural and beautiful, while keeping as much natural tooth structure as possible.
Advantages and Benefits of Dental Veneers
There are many benefits and advantages to having porcelain veneers placed on your front teeth:
- The procedure of placing cosmetic veneers takes only two appointments
- A conservative amount of tooth structure is removed during the porcelain veneer procedure
- Porcelain veneers are the most biocompatible material you can use next to the gingiva (part of the gum tissue that immediately surrounds the teeth and alveolar bone)
- A healthy “natural” look is achieved; in fact, porcelain veneers are the most esthetic restoration in dentistry
How are Porcelain Veneers prepared and placed?
At the first appointment with Dr. Ty Etheridge, the teeth are prepared for the dental veneers and an impression is taken. This impression is then sent to a lab where each porcelain veneer is custom made to Dr. Ty’s specifications. Beautiful temporaries (temporary dental veneers) are fabricated to simulate your new smile so you can expect to leave the first appointment looking better than when you came in. At the second appointment the new porcelain veneers are permanently adhered to the natural teeth.
What to Expect with Dental Veneers
Dental veneers can last indefinitely, depending on how well they are taken care of by the patient. Because porcelain veneers are stronger than simple bonding, they are also more resistant to stains and chipping. Even so, you must maintain regular oral hygiene at home, and visit us for routine cleanings and exams. This is to ensure that your new cosmetic veneers will continue to look as good as new. Another important point is that oral habits that damage natural teeth such as nail biting, opening bobby pins, and chewing on hard objects can also damage your new dental veneers. Once porcelain veneers are applied, just treat them like natural teeth. They look great and are extremely durable.
Seattle dentist Dr. Ty Etheridge has extensive experience with placing cosmetic veneers. We invite you to come to Etheridge Family Dentistry in the Seattle area to learn more about dental veneers and find out if porcelain veneers are right for you.
The Etheridge Team will custom design the veneers based on the clients needs, desires and personality.
Don’t wait another day for your dazzling new smile, call for a complimentary consult today.
Patient Testimonials
Veneers before/after gallery
veneers
case #1
Results: The patient was utterly shocked and ecstatic with how this transformed the way they presented herself when speaking and smiling.
Details: This patient came to me for a second opinion after already starting orthodontics and dental care with another team. The orthodontist wanted more guidance on how to help this patient get their desired results due to the complexity of care needed. After meeting the patient, myself, and the orthodontist we established a plan to help the patient achieve their goals. Working together closely, we made the process as easy as possible for the patient.
Once the teeth were in position, I could add bonded composite, I then bonded to the upper teeth to guide the orthodontist to the final position for my restorative work. Additionally, we knew the patient was not happy with how much tissue they showed when they smiled, so we sent them to the periodontist for “esthetic crown lengthening” for all the upper arches, reducing their gummy smile.
This process is significantly one of the coolest things I see in dentistry as it is life changing in every way. This case was selected by the American Academy of Periodontics for Comprehensive Dental Care and Teamwork. We presented how a team can masterfully work together to successfully accomplish the patients desires along with achieving each clinician’s goal too.
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case #2
Result: The patient enjoyed the process and attention to detail and loves having the desired smile he (was – delete) always wanted
Details: This patient did not appreciate the way their smile looked personally and in photos. They felt their teeth appeared to look more like that of a kid’s mouth. We went over several options and decided that it was best to do some alignment and intruding the lower teeth with Invisalign.
With Invisalign, we were able to get the teeth into the ideal position, allowing us to restore the upper four teeth with porcelain veneers. Then I was able to raise the tissue on the front four teeth enhancing the proper dimension for a more adult aesthetic appearance.
veneers
case #3
Results: The patient was extremely happy with their smile and appreciated the thoughtfulness of keeping a natural tooth and successfully integrating it with veneers.
Details: This case was interesting as the patient had generally great teeth with exception to damage to the canines and the front two teeth.
After reviewing options, we decided to do porcelain veneers on all five (5) of the front upper teeth. The left little tooth that sits between the front tooth and the canine tooth was healthy and shaped well that I decided to keep it intact. I knew it could be a challenge leaving a lone tooth in the middle around all other restored teeth, but I am convicted to this approach of keeping healthy teeth at all costs.
During the process, I had to send the case back once to get restorative work slightly tweaked and next visit they matched perfect. Generally, porcelain veneers are slightly more polished yielding a shinier appearance. I could either polish up the natural tooth and or reduce the polish on the veneers to match with 100% success. This is a great example of how you can make veneers totally integrated with your natural teeth for a seamless, beautiful smile.
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case #4
Results: The patient was ecstatic with her smile and wished they did it earlier.
Details: This case is why I do what I do. It was a fun and rewarding case for me and here is why. This patient suffered from dental anxiety and so doing dental work was very challenging which inhibited them from improving their smile.
She disliked their smile with a passion and finally when the were retiring decided to consult with me to go over their wishes and see if we could come up with a plan that allowed them to feel comfortable enough to move forward. We decided to handle their case using conscious sedation to help lessen their anxiety. They were comfortable with the approach which allowed us to add ten (10) porcelain veneers. Afterwards, they were ecstatic with the outcome and loves their new smile. I remember their one comment “why did I wait until I retired”. I find it fully satisfying to help someone get from a place they do not like and end in a place where they are 100% content!
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case #5
Results: The patient loves their new smile and very much appreciates the guidance and dental care we provide.
Details: For this case we met to consider all options as they had severe wear on several teeth including malalignment and crowding.
The patient did not like how their teeth were not in their proper positions, a gummy smile, worn-looking teeth at angles that were not desirable.
We decided to do Invisalign to straighten the teeth, raise the tissue to decrease gumminess, do four front porcelain veneers and bonded composite on the canines and a couple of lower teeth to conservatively restore them and improve their function.
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case #6
Results: The outcome was beyond the patient’s expectations and fully loves their new look.
Details: I was honored to have the opportunity to work with this patient for over a decade before they were moving out of the state. They asked me to create a smile they would love before leaving. I was truly proud to deliver the smile that would make them happy again and last a lifetime.
I worked up a diagnostic plan to deliver their ideal smile and presented this to them and they loved it. The work included doing ten (10) porcelain veneers.
veneers
case #7
Results: I was honored to serve this patient and am happy they are pleased with the results we achieved for her.
Details: The patient continuously chipped multiple front teeth on both the upper and lower arches. Over the years I would place bonded composite onto the chipped teeth which would last different amounts of time so at one point I suggested doing porcelain veneers to make something more durable. They initially resisted getting them but after seeing another dentist and receiving a second opinion and continued getting chips in their teeth they decided to proceed with my recommendation.
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case #8
Results: In the end the patient was happy with the result and new they could always add more veneers if desired.
Details: The patient was not happy with their current six (6) veneers and the uneven gummy smile, they also was not interested in doing orthodontics. This decision caused me to modify my original plan, so I opted to raise and level the gums then replace the veneers. This allowed me to add one more veneer on each side to help balance out the sides, providing a more pleasing smile.
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case #9
Results: They love their new smile and realizes it was worth the time and investment.
Details: This patient did not like their smoke-stained teeth and wanted to see a smile that looked healthier and younger.
We did an upper arch rehab that included restoring the teeth with a combination of porcelain veneers and crowns. Later plans are to restore the lower arch as the patient is currently wearing retainers.
veneers
case #10
Results: They are truly amazed how their smile looks and loves the results.
Details: We had this patient come to us from an orthodontist once the teeth were aligned. We went over options and due to the amount of wear and damage to their teeth and loss of stability and function, we decided to complete this case with ten (10) porcelain veneers.
veneers
case #11
Results: Their desires were completely met, and they were totally satisfied with the end result.
Details: This was a patient who wanted to see an improvement from their discolored and worn/chipped teeth.
First, we performed porcelain veneers on the front six (6) teeth helping with recapturing proper function and aesthetics. Next, we did align their lower teeth with Invisalign. In their case, we were able to restore upper teeth without positioning the lower teeth first.
She appreciated having an opportunity to improve the overall appearance of their teeth and later to do Invisalign to complete the restoration.
testimonials
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