Not every smile flaw responds to whitening. Chips, gaps, uneven edges, and staining that runs deeper than the enamel surface often need something more targeted to fix, and that is exactly the gap porcelain veneers were designed to close.
Cedar Smiles Dental serves Bridgewater and the greater Somerset County area from our Somerset, NJ office, where Dr. Kelvin Wong treats every veneer case as both a clinical procedure and a design decision.
A veneer is a thin, custom-fabricated shell bonded to the visible surface of a tooth. Longevity research backs this up in practical terms: a widely cited prospective study followed nearly 500 feldspathic veneers and found a 96% survival rate at 10 years and 91% at 20 years for restorations bonded primarily to enamel.
Everything starts with a real conversation about what you like and don’t like about your current smile. Once your plan is set, a thin layer of enamel is removed from the teeth being treated, and digital scans capture the exact measurements sent to our lab for fabrication. You’ll wear temporary veneers while your permanent set is being made.
Veneers hold up well against daily wear and staining, but they aren’t invincible. Ordinary care goes a long way: brush and floss like you would for natural teeth, avoid chewing on anything unusually hard, and use a nightguard if grinding is something you deal with.
With good care, porcelain veneers typically last 10 to 15 years or longer before needing replacement. Avoiding hard foods and wearing a nightguard if you grind your teeth both help extend that lifespan.
Veneers are considered a permanent treatment because a thin layer of enamel is removed to place them, meaning the tooth will always need some form of restoration going forward. That said, the veneers themselves can be replaced when they eventually wear out.
Yes, when properly designed. Porcelain has a translucent quality similar to natural enamel, and Dr. Wong customizes shade, shape, and proportion so the veneer blends in with the rest of your smile rather than looking obviously artificial.
Yes, veneers are a common solution for a chipped or fractured front tooth, especially when the damage affects visible tooth structure and a simpler filling would not restore the natural look.
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