Advanced dental science gives us many options for material choices when it comes to cosmetic dentistry. But if you want to get good long-lasting results from a procedure like veneers, you have to make sure that you’re investing in quality materials.
That lesson is hammered home in a small new study looking at veneers made from either resin composite or glass ceramic materials. While the glass ceramic veneers had a 100% survival rate and looked good at the end of the 10-year study, the resin veneers only had a 75% survival rate, and looked worse, with poor color match, numerous fractures, and significant wear.
If you want to get the longest life from your veneers, choose quality materials and work with a skilled, experienced cosmetic dentist.
A Small, Split-Mouth Study
For this study, published in the Journal of Dentistry, researchers placed 48 veneers in 11 patients’ mouths. Every patient received half ceramic glass veneers, and half resin composite. The restorations were evaluated after 10 years.
In those 10 years, researchers had seen six veneer failures–all were resin composite. Half of the failures were fractured veneers and half were debonded veneers. The ceramic veneers had a 100% survival rate in this study, compared to only 75% for the resin. In addition, they compared the qualities of all the surviving veneers, and found that the color match, surface roughness, fracture of the restoration, and restoration wear were all worse among the surviving resin restorations.
Quality Materials Make a Difference
If you are considering cosmetic dentistry, you might talk to multiple dentists, some of whom might give you a much lower cost estimate for your treatment than others. Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples when looking at estimates and treatment plans. One of the big factors to consider is the materials being used. Many dentists will try to lure in people with low-cost materials in the hopes that you won’t know the difference, and while it can be hard to get educated on the different materials, it’s worth it to understand what someone is proposing to put in your mouth.
If you have trouble figuring out what someone is offering, we can look at another dentist’s treatment plan and tell you about what they’re proposing, and how it differs from our treatment plan.
Your Dentist Also Matters
Of course, it’s not just the material that makes a difference when it comes to the quality of your restorations. It’s also the dentist placing the restorations who can make a big difference for the appearance and longevity of your veneers.
This can be even harder to assess. However, take the time to look at a dentist’s before-and-after image gallery. Learn about the reputation of the practice. You can even ask to talk to previous patients to get an idea about how good a dentist is.
With restorations that can last for decades if done properly, it’s worth it to take the time to research your potential dentist.
If you are looking for quality cosmetic dentistry in the Hilton Head area, please call (843) 706-2999 today for an appointment with a cosmetic dentist at The Durham Office in Bluffton, offering Beyond Exceptional Dentistry.
