Porcelain Veneers in Midtown East, NYC

Planned by Dr. Kunal Lal, board-certified prosthodontist.

Veneers are thin ceramic facings bonded to the front surfaces of the teeth. They can correct color that will not whiten, worn or chipped edges, uneven shapes and small gaps, all at once.

Design comes before ceramics

The failure mode of veneer treatment is not the material. It is a set of teeth that are technically well made and belong to somebody else.

Proportion, edge position, the amount of tooth visible at rest and while smiling, and the way the edges follow the lower lip are design decisions. They should be made deliberately, shown to you before anything is made, and agreed.

What good treatment involves

• Understanding what you actually want changed, in your words
• A design you see and approve before any tooth is prepared
• Conservative preparation, removing as little enamel as the case allows
• Provisionals to wear, so the shape is tested in your face rather than on a model

When to say no

Veneers over crowding, over untreated gum disease, or over a bite that is destroying the teeth is cosmetic work built on an unresolved problem. Sometimes the honest answer is a different treatment, or a smaller one.