Vibrancy

Once placed, feldspathic veneers will look beautiful. However, they will lose their vibrancy and natural appearance as the years progress.  The pressed porcelain veneers will show no changes in vibrancy over the years.

Replacement Time

Patients are typically advised that feldspathic veneers will need to be replaced in around 7-10 years. I have several patients that still have original ones I placed 25 years ago, but this isn’t industry standard. And although they still look acceptable, they do not compare to how nice the pressed porcelain look.  Pressed porcelain veneers can last between 10-20 years on average.
Wear on Natural Teeth
The feldspathic materials abrade the opposing teeth. Meaning that when patients have feldspathic teeth as crowns or veneers they will have accelerated wear of the natural teeth that chew against them. This is not the case for pressed porcelain, which has the same wear factor as natural teeth.

The Shade of Your Teeth

The shade of your underlying teeth will actually bare weight in the color that your veneers end up being. The feldspathic materials are not very dense, thus if the natural tooth has a lot of grey in it with significant variation in shade, then feldspathics will not be able to raise the value or cover the color of the underlying tooth very well. Porcelain pressed materials do not have this same problem as they are higher quality and more dense.

Marginal Integrity and Decay

Better marginal integrity refers to less degradation at the margins. If you have degradation of the margins, which is much more common with feldspathic materials, then you are more susceptible to decay. The reason for this is that the pressed porcelain has a superior fit to the underlying tooth.

Before pressed porcelain veneers came about, skilled dentists would not put veneers on those with a decay active mouth as it would make the problem worse. However, pressed veneers fixed this problem, as a better fitting veneer will not worsen the underlying tooth.

Both feldspathic and pressed porcelain veneers are solutions for increasing the beauty of one’s smile.  Some patients, based on the state of his or her teeth, can wear feldspathic veneers and they are perfect. Others will need to go with the pressed porcelain. Like many decisions, the best solution for each patient will be case-specific based on his or her personal needs.

What Are Digital X-rays?
When we need digital X-rays, we put a tiny sensor in a patient’s mouth that emits a small amount of radiation—up to 90% less than traditional X-rays. Since we don’t need to develop the X-ray, a detailed digital image of the patient’s oral structures is available for viewing immediately. This method means we don’t handle or dispose of harmful developer chemicals and we’re able to easily store and reproduce patient X-rays.

What Is Cone Beam Technology?
The type of cone beam technology I use is the Kodak 9500 scanner. It renders a three-dimensional CAT scan that I use with implant placement planning software. This provides an invaluable resource for the implant procedure I’ll perform later by allowing me to locate ideal bone sites for the implants. The more precisely I can plan, the better the results will be for my patients.

I will perform the implant surgery once the treatment plan is in place. Instead of making several incisions and peeling back the gum tissue during surgery, I’ll make a small hole that the implant will thread through into the bone. Patients experience far less trauma to their mouths during this type of placement, which reduces recovery time and postoperative discomfort greatly.

If you’re interested in highly accurate, minimally invasive dental implant surgery, call the Plano dental practice to schedule an appointment. I regularly serve patients from Plano, North Dallas, the DFW area, and beyond.

To address this problem, I provide implant-retained dentures at Fitzgerald Dental Center. Dental implants have provided many denture wearers a beautiful, long-lasting, and reliable alternative to traditional dentures.

What are implant-retained dentures?

Small, titanium implant posts can secure a single replacement tooth, a bridge, or a denture. If you are interested in implant-supported dentures, you have two options:

• Non-removable fixed dentures, which most closely restore natural oral function, require a solid foundation of five or more implant posts per jaw. After I affix the dentures to the posts you’ll wear them all the time, treating them like natural teeth. Since you will brush and floss as usual, fixed dentures free you from the extra upkeep of removable dentures and are the strongest option.
• Removable overdentures are a solid alternative to traditional dentures. Attached directly to conventional implants, mini implants, or an implant-supported bar, removable dentures snap firmly in place for a reliable, snug fit. This type of denture needs the same care as a traditional denture, so you will take it out for cleaning periodically throughout the day.

With implant-supported dentures, you can be confident your teeth won’t let you down. Imagine the ability to eat what you like, smile proudly, and leave the adhesive behind. Sound great? Find out whether implants are the solution for you by calling the Fitzgerald Dental Center and scheduling a free consultation with me, Dr. Lee Fitzgerald. I’d love to improve your quality of life with implant-retained dentures.