Laminate Veneer (Leaf Tooth)

Porcelain laminate veneers, also known as leaf teeth, porcelain veneers are often a preferred form of treatment in today's aesthetic dentistry practices. The most important advantage is that there is no etching on the teeth to be ed or the minimum amount of etching is needed. Thanks to the material used, an aesthetic and quite natural appearance can be given to the teeth.

Laminate coatings provide the removal of Decoloration changes in the tooth, correction of small perplexities and position disorders, closing of gaps between teeth and repair of small fractures. In teeth that cannot be obtained with whitening, will not require orthodontic treatment or in undesirable cases, when the teeth are disproportionate to each other, a natural and aesthetic image can be obtained with laminate veneer treatment.

The right patient selection and the right indication are very important for laminate veneer treatment to be long-lasting. For laminate veneer applying, the gum should be healthy and there should be no deep caries or fillings in the tooth to be applied. Since the best retention can be provided to the tooth enamel, it cannot be applied to patients whose teeth are worn out. In patients with the habit of clenching teeth, which we call bruxism, and in patients engaged in hard sports such as boxing, wrestling, the incoming forces cannot be met by the laminate veneer. In addition, laminate veneer should not be applied in cases where the jaw relations do not allow, the lower jaw is in front, or the teeth are closed alone.

Porcelain with very good aesthetic properties is used in laminate veneer applying. Due to the colorless structure of porcelain, color change due to consumption of products such as cigarettes and coffee is not observed. These porcelains, which are about 0.5 mm thick, require great attention when applying because they are very thin. The position of the gums is also very important for an aesthetic smile to be captured.

If etching is to be performed on the tooth, the necessary tooth preparation can often be completed without even applying anesthesia, as it will be a minimum amount. The patient and the doctor decide on the color and shape of the tooth together. The precise measurement to be taken, closing relationships, patient photos are transmitted to the technician and laminates are produced by the technician in the digital environment as desired. After the rehearsals to be performed in the patient's mouth, laminate veneers are glued to the tooth with special chemical adhesives.
 
Can laminate veneer be made without etching on teeth?
When laminate veneers first appeared on the market, it was recommended to apply them without etching, but as a result of the studies conducted today, it is recommended to etch in order to achieve success in the long term. However, if there are December in the teeth to be made laminate veneer or if the teeth are positioned behind the required, it can also be applied without etching at all.

What is the difference between zirconium veneers and laminated veneers? 
When zirconium coatings are made, the tooth is reduced environmentally, while in laminate veneer applying, a small amount of etching is performed on the front and side faces of the tooth. Zirconium is very durable because it is used as an infrastructure material, but laminates are very thin porcelain glued on the tooth and their durability is lower than zirconium. The cost of laminate veneer applying is higher.
 
What are the things to be considered after having a laminate veneer? 
Hard and crusty foods should not be consumed. Some foods (pestilence, quince) should be chewed by cutting instead of biting. Habits such as pen biting, nail eating should be abandoned, patients with the habit of squeezing teeth should definitely use a plaque at night. Attention should be paid to oral hygiene, teeth should be brushed 2 times a day and dental floss should be used. A dentist check-up should not be interrupted every 6 months for early detection of possible problems.
 
Are laminate veneers bitten and dislodged/broken? 
Because the porcelain used is quite thin, they are very sensitive to breaking before being glued. It integrates with the tooth structure with the adhesives used later and its resistance increases. Fractures can occur in laminate veneer porcelain when bitten hard, when hard food is consumed, in short, when the recommendations of the physician are not followed.

How long is the life of laminate veneers?
The patient's habits, oral hygiene, applying of the recommendations given, correct diagnosis and treatment planning affect the life of laminate veneers. Failure to interrupt control appointments after the end of treatment prolongs the life of the coating.