Composite Veneers vs. Porcelain Veneers: What Is the Difference?
Cosmetic dentistry offers many solutions to improving your smile. At Philadelphia Dentistry, Dr. Ken Cirka , Dr. Mimi Jeon, or Dr. Stephanie Smith will sit with you and evaluate your smile and find the best option for you. In our office we help patients by giving them a beautiful smile that improves confidence and everyday life.
A great way to achieve a perfect, bright, white smile is with veneers. A veneer is a thin coating that is placed over top of your own teeth.
There are two different materials that Dr. Cirka, Dr. Jeon and Dr. Smith use to do veneers. The two materials are porcelain and composite. Porcelain is a ceramic material that is strong, beautiful, and translucent in a way that is very similar to the enamel of natural teeth. Composite is a plastic and glass mixture that is tooth colored and used to improve smiles by reshaping teeth and also for improving the color of the teeth.
There are differences to both of these materials that Dr. Cirka, Dr. Jeon and Dr. Smith will review with you at your cosmetic consultation in detail. Below are a few of the major pros and cons of these two materials to give you more information about them:
Composite Veneers
Composite veneers are applied in layers and directly bonded to natural tooth structure. The clinician will sculpt the material and be able to match the shade perfectly by blending the material with the teeth. Minor chips in front teeth can expertly be hidden with a composite veneer. Composite tends to stain as time goes on and may need to be changed. The composite resin is at risk to chip and your clinician will go over ways to prevent this from happening by reviewing motions to avoid, such as biting your nails. With the proper home-care and maintenance, composite veneers can provide a very natural and long-lasting result to improve your smile and confidence. From a financial perspective composite veneers are generally less expensive than porcelain. Since composite veneers are reversible and can be removed and replaced as needed, patients often opt to begin with composite veneers due the lower cost. Then once able they will have the composite changed to porcelain. Each case is different and it is important to have your personal consultation with Dr. Cirka, Dr. Jeon and Dr. Smith to determine the best course of action for you.
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are an ultra-thin layer of porcelain that is cemented onto your own teeth. With porcelain Dr. Cirka, Dr. Jeon and Dr. Smith are able to drastically improve the color, size, and shape of their patient’s teeth. Keep in mind with composite veneers we are limited with how white in color we can go since the material must blend into the tooth color. By using porcelain we are able to choose shades much lighter than natural 
teeth and still achieve a natural smile without the veneers having a fake appearance. Another great benefit of using porcelain as a material is its high resistance to stains. This is an advantage over composite veneers which do pick up stain as time goes on. Porcelain is also much stronger and tends to last much longer than the composite veneers with the proper care.
How Do I Choose?
Both composite veneers and porcelain veneers offer a beautiful result. There are many factors that make a difference when choosing between materials and at your free cosmetic consultation with Dr. Cirka, Dr. Jeon and Dr. Smith they will review these factors with you. Sometimes a combination of materials work best for patients, it depends on your specific case and situation and what you are looking to achieve. The most important thing is for you to be informed and involved in each step of the process and we guarantee it will be well worth it!
Call us today to schedule your cosmetic consultation at 215-568-6222. We look forward to meeting you soon!