Porcelain Veneers in San Diego 

Many people have turned to porcelain veneers to achieve picture-perfect smiles. If you’ve been dreaming about getting as dazzling a white smile as your favorite movie star, veneers could be the ideal solution. And while it’s true that dental veneers can dramatically improve smile aesthetics, creation and placement requires the talents of a skilled cosmetic dentist and top-quality dental lab to ensure the best results. 

If you’re looking for the best porcelain veneers in San Diego and La Jolla, you’ve come to the right practice. Dr. David Sabourin has over 35 years of expertise practicing cosmetic dentistry in San Diego, including dental veneers that restore the radiance and beauty to his patients’ smiles. 

If you’re considering getting dental veneers in San Diego, learning more below will help you determine if they’re the right solution to help you achieve the smile of your dreams. 

 

What Are Porcelain Veneers? 

Like every other facet of dentistry, major strides have been made in veneer creation since the earliest versions were introduced in the 1930s. In the mid-1970s, development of laminate porcelain veneers measuring 1 mm in thickness greatly improved their ability to deliver natural-looking aesthetics. In the 1980s, tooth enamel was etched and the porcelain surface was treated to improve bonding. 

Modern porcelain veneers are thin, custom-made ceramic laminated shells that fit over the front surface of teeth in your smile zone. The porcelain is tinted and shaped to match your teeth and smile for flawless results. Because a thin layer of dental enamel is removed, veneers are considered an irreversible process. The exception is no-prep veneers that don’t require enamel removal. 

 

Benefits of Porcelain Veneers 

Porcelain veneers provide excellent strength and resilience that is comparable to natural tooth enamel. In addition to creating bright, white smiles with beautifully aligned and shapely teeth, porcelain veneers protect the surface of damaged teeth and often eliminate the need for more extensive treatments. 

Unlike natural teeth, custom veneers resist coffee, tea, and tobacco stains because they’re made from high-tech materials. If your teeth resist professional whitening treatments, veneers can cover even the darkest stains and discoloration. 

One of the best things about getting dental veneers in San Diego is that they conceal a wide range of aesthetic imperfections without the need for major tooth reduction. Unlike dental crowns that require removal of a significant amount of your tooth structure above the gum line, natural teeth remain largely intact with only a minimal amount of tooth enamel removed to ensure the veneer fits.

 

Types of Dental Veneers 

types of veneers

No-prep veneers: Fabricated from durable dental ceramic such as porcelain, minimal- or no-prep veneers are a custom-made option for your smile that require less preparation than traditional porcelain veneers. No-prep veneers are designed to be ultra-thin at just 0.3mm (about the thickness of a contact lens), enabling seamless application over natural teeth, often without removal of any tooth enamel.

Porcelain veneers: These restorations are custom-made to fit your dental anatomy and measure about 0.5mm. Before placement, a small amount of enamel needs to be removed to ensure they fit seamlessly over your natural teeth and in line with your gums and adjacent teeth.

Composite veneers: This type of veneer is made from the same type of tooth-colored composite resin as dental bonding to achieve desired results. Some type of composite material is always used to create temporary veneers. 

 

Which Dental Veneer Option is Best? 

Dr. Sabourin will help you choose the best teeth veneers in San Diego to meet your clinical needs and financial budget. Clearly identifying the cosmetic improvements you wish to accomplish and discussing this with Dr. Sabourin is an essential part of achieving a successful outcome. 

With that said, multiple clinical studies indicate porcelain veneers provide excellent aesthetic results, longevity, and patient satisfaction. Composite veneers provide a good aesthetic outcome and slightly lower patient satisfaction, but the physical properties and bonding strength of composite resin is inferior to porcelain. As such, they tend to degrade significantly quicker than porcelain veneers. 

 

What Issue Can Veneers Correct?

 

How Does the Veneers Procedure Work? 

The beauty of veneers is that crooked, worn or discolored teeth can be dramatically transformed into beautiful pearly whites, with relative ease on your part. Here are the steps in the minimally-invasive process. 

1.     Consultation 

At your initial consultation, Dr. Sabourin performs a thorough screening to ensure you don’t have underlying factors that interfere with successful placement of veneers in San Diego. Diagnostic X-rays help determine if you have cavities, gum disease, compromised tooth strength or major cracks and chips. These issues must be resolved prior to getting veneers. 

2.     Creating Diagnostic Wax-Ups and a Trial Smile 

A smile analysis helps determine what steps are necessary to achieve the smile you desire. In addition to creating ideal aesthetics, careful planning is necessary to ensure veneers maintain or correct your bite so you can chew comfortably and the veneers won’t chip on opposing teeth. If needed, Dr. Sabourin creates several trial smile wax-ups of your teeth so you can ‘test drive’ different options and choose the version that best meets your smile goals. 

3.     Prepping Teeth for Veneers 

A thin layer of tooth enamel (about half a millimeter) needs to be removed by buffing it gently. This step is crucial because it creates room for the porcelain veneer to fit on the tooth and your mouth, accurately restores natural tooth function, and improves the appearance of your original tooth. 

4.     Taking Impressions and Scans 

Digital impressions are taken of your teeth. Dr. Sabourin uses the impressions to create temporary veneers and also sends them to the dental lab that is fabricating your permanent porcelain veneers. 

5.     Placing Temporary Veneers 

Dr. Sabourin creates a temporary composite veneer on site based on your final veneer design that you’ll wear until the final restoration comes back from the dental lab. This protects the front surface of your teeth and also allows you to try out the veneer and experience how it feels. 

6.     Placing Permanent Veneers 

During your second appointment, Dr. Sabourin verifies the fit and makes certain you’re happy with the veneer appearance before permanently attaching it to the front of your tooth. While the dental labs he relies on create exquisitely precise custom veneers, Dr. Sabourin can make tiny adjustments while you’re in the chair until they look and feel perfect. After your tooth is cleaned, the veneer is bonded with a special dental cement. The adhesive is then hardened with a blue curing light. 

 

How Much Do Veneers Typically Cost in San Diego? 

cost of veneers

Different factors influence the cost of veneers in San Diego, including case complexity, materials used, practice overhead, the choice of dental lab, and the dentist’s level of expertise. Veneers are a worthwhile, long-term investment when you select a highly skilled dentist like Dr. Sabourin who never cuts corners nor compromises quality over cost. 

As a cosmetic treatment, veneers aren’t covered by insurance. Dr. Sabourin thinks everyone deserves the transformative benefits they provide, so he offers competitive prices and free cosmetic dentistry consultations to discuss treatment options, including veneers. 

 

Why Choose Dr. Sabourin for Veneers? 

When he started professional practice, Dr. Sabourin had a vision to create a special dental practice that reflected dentistry’s long, storied history with a sense of elegance and refinement to make it stand out in the crowd. Glowing reviews, loyal patients, referrals and being named a top San Diego dentist multiple years are all a testimony to his impeccable reputation. Since day one, Dr. Sabourin has focused on delivering transformative dentistry to his patients by crafting smiles that stand the test of time using the latest techniques, top-quality materials, and finest dental labs. 

Like all the dental procedures he offers, Dr. Sabourin puts a great deal of thought into the art and science of creating porcelain veneers. He works personally with highly trained dental lab technicians who specialize in creating state-of-the-art veneers. Veneers are designed to look natural in terms of fit, color, surface texture, and translucency. Special care is taken to ensure they blend in beautifully with other teeth and complement your skin tone, gum line, lip line and facial features. 

 

Other Frequently Asked Veneer Questions 

How Do I Know If I’m a Good Candidate for Veneers?

If you’re considering veneers, you must be in good oral health, have moderately straight teeth, no history of teeth grinding or clenching (bruxism), and be committed to proper oral hygiene. As a cosmetic dentistry treatment, porcelain veneers aren’t intended to resolve functional issues, such as a bad bite (malocclusion), serious misalignment issues, or fractures. 

How Many Visits and How Much Time Do Veneers Require?

From start to finish, it takes just two visits and about two to four weeks to get the best porcelain veneers in La Jolla. The consultation with Dr. Sabourin takes about 30 minutes, preparation can take as long as two hours for multiple teeth, and the final fitting and bonding can be done in a minimum of one hour. 

How Long Do Veneers Last?

When placed by a skilled cosmetic dentist and with proper care, porcelain veneers can last 20 years or longer. A 2011 study reported a survival rate of 94.4% after five years and 93.5% after 10 years, while a 2012 study found a survival rate of 96% after 10 years and 91% after 20 years. In comparison, a 2010 study on composite veneers found an estimated survival rate of 80% after five years, while a 2012 study comparing two different types of composites reported a survival rate of 87% at over three years. 

Will My Veneers Look Natural?

Porcelain veneers are designed to have a translucent appearance, just like dental enamel. Because porcelain veneers are individually sculpted and customized to each person, it’s nearly impossible for anyone to tell the difference between them and natural teeth. In Dr. Sabourin’s skilled hands, porcelain veneers will transform your smile and no one but you and he will ever need to know! 

Do Veneers Cause Any Side Effects?

It’s common to experience some minor discomfort or pain after undergoing a dental veneers procedure. The good news is when the procedure is done properly, you shouldn’t experience any long-term tooth sensitivity. 

What Causes Tooth Sensitivity After Veneers?

Removing a minimal layer of tooth enamel can cause short-term sensitivity because the underlying nerve is stressed. After initial sensitivity wears off, some people still experience a mild degree of hot or cold sensitivity. It can take a day or two to adjust to eating and speaking after they’re placed. Entrusting your smile to a highly experienced cosmetic dentist like Dr. Sabourin ensures that your new veneers won’t cause an improper bite and long-term irritation or sensitivity. 

How Do I Care for Veneers?

In general, veneers can be cared for the same way as natural teeth. You should never bite your fingernails, chew ice, or open beer bottles with your teeth! If you develop bruxism, Dr. Sabourin will create a customized mouthguard to protect your beautiful new veneers from damage.

 

Schedule Your Veneers Consultation Today 

When you choose Dr. Sabourin for veneers in La Jolla, the process is quick, simple, and painless—and the best part is that you can achieve a movie-star smile in just two dental visits. Rest assured, Dr. Sabourin is uncompromising when it comes to delivering uniformly high-quality, natural-looking veneers that exceed his patients’ expectations! 

To learn more about how dental implants can improve your oral health and quality of life, request an appointment or call us at (858) 452-2333.