At Smiles4OC, Drs. Thomas J. Rolfes, Christina T. Do, and Timothy J. Rolfes want to assist patients in the area of Costa Mesa, California with ways of enhancing their smiles that are affordable, effective, and natural-looking. Patients are educated on the many ways of addressing dental imperfections, and may be advised to consider porcelain dental veneers for their smiles.
DCA TV – Porcelain Veneers
DCA TV – Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are an excellent esthetic solution for patients who want teeth with a more uniform appearance – consistent shape and color. Porcelain veneers are a conservative approach that will cover the front of the tooth, smoothing striations, and evening out the shade of your smile. They are a fast, easy, and effective way of addressing imperfections of the smile for patients who are ready to make an improvement. In some cases, a single tooth may have imperfections that cannot be corrected with composite resin. Or patients may have discoloration that teeth whitening just will not correct. Porcelain veneers allow a whole new appearance, while requiring only a small amount of reshaping of the natural tooth structure. It is minimally invasive and can provide a complete transformation in just a few dental appointments.
Porcelain veneers are typically used on the anterior teeth, or the teeth in the front of the smile. This is because they are thin. Patients who need to improve teeth further back in the mouth may require other solutions such as dental crowns, which are thicker and are made to withstand the stronger chewing forces that are applied on the molars. Dental crowns are placed in a comparable manner, but they are thicker and cover the entire tooth surface. This is how they obtained their name as “caps.”
Getting veneers is a painless, straightforward process in the skilled hands of the Costa Mesa dentists, Drs. Thomas J. Rolfes, Christina T. Do, and Timothy J. Rolfes. We begin with a great deal of input from you, asking questions and learning how you would like to change your appearance. We can evaluate the smile and decide what treatment may be best. For patients who are not appropriate candidates for veneers, we may suggest alternative solutions such as composite resin bonding. Composite resin bonding can also cover imperfections of the anterior teeth and can be done in one day, but does not last as long and is susceptible to staining. Many patients love veneers because they are more long-term and more durable than bonding.
If veneers are the best solution, we take x-rays and make impressions of your upper and lower teeth. We also find just the right porcelain shade for the look you want. Information from the x-rays, the impressions, and color match gets forwarded to a professional lab where your veneers are fabricated. This laboratory creates the perfect restorations for optimum fit, function, and appearance.
In about two weeks you will return for your veneer seat appointment. The new veneers are fitted onto your teeth with cement and bonded using a light-activation process. At the end of this appointment, you will have a brand new beautiful smile to share with the world! Patients are also educated during this time on how to maintain their dental veneers to ensure their longevity.
The result is a very natural look that is easy to maintain. They are durable and resistant to staining. However, good home care, brushing and flossing, is always important. Veneers protect a tooth from decay only where it is covered.
Since the veneer is a thin covering, cemented to the surface of the tooth, it extends just to the gum line. The area where the veneer meets the gum is called the margin. Veneers require a little extra attention at the margin, where breakdown can occur. By developing a habit of brushing well in this area, you will help ensure that your veneers look great and last a lifetime.
It is also essential that patients who have veneers and other dental restorations visit their dentist regularly for recall appointments. These appointments allow our team to clean the teeth and evaluate the health of the smile. X-rays are often taken to monitor for any signs of decay that may be occurring on the teeth underneath the porcelain veneers. Routine care is so important and cannot be stressed to patients enough!
Most patients who have porcelain veneers and care for them well can enjoy them for a decade or longer. This makes them a wise investment for patients seeking more permanent options of repair for the imperfections in their smiles.
At Smiles4OC, we work closely with patients to give them as many options as possible to choose from when they are interested in aesthetic changes to their smiles. We welcome patients to consult with our team and ask about the ways in which they can address missing, broken, or unsightly teeth. Other solutions that may be discussed during these consultation appointments include:
- Composite resin bonding – this method is more short-term but economical, though can stain over time
- Dental crowns – these are better for coverage on teeth near the back of the mouth versus the front
- Professional teeth whitening – staining may be addressed with the use of professional teeth whiteining solutions instead of placing porcelain veneers
- Inlays and onlays – inlays and onlays are more conservative than crowns and may be a solution for some of our patients
Contact Smiles4OC today to schedule an appointment with Drs. Thomas J. Rolfes, Christina T. Do, or Timothy J. Rolfes. We are ready and willing to assist with general, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry solutions such as this. Call our front office at (714) 557-0700 and visit us at Suite J at 1530 Baker Street. We are here to assist patients in achieving the smile they’ve always wanted, and learn about the advantages of affordable cosmetic dentistry options available to them.
Dr. Thomas
Dr. Christina
Dr. Tim
Having earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Loyola Marymount University and his Doctor of Dental Surgery from Georgetown University, Dr. Thomas Rolfes has been providing dental care from his Costa Mesa location since 1984. He holds a Fellowship from the Academy of General Dentistry, among memberships from many prestigious organizations. Dr. Christina Do specializes in laser dentistry, and Dr. Timothy Rolfes, whose passion is community dentistry, comprises the team, which also includes skilled hygienists, dental assistants, and administrative staff who are dedicated to helping the people of the area fulfill their dental needs.
