Porcelain
veneers are considered to be purely cosmetic because, unlike dental
crowns,
they do not completely encompass the entire tooth but only the labial surface with no more than 1mm preparation needed. However, porcelain
veneers have the ability to treat cracks, chips, and broken teeth, as
well as teeth which are chemically stained and therefore, do not
respond to whitening treatments. Furthermore,
porcelain venners are used to fill in unsightly gaps and spaces as
well as make the teeth straight and white. The
additional benefit of porcelain veneers is that they are comprised of
a highly resilient porcelain, which not only responds as natural
teeth do to whitening and other colorants but can be tinted to
exactly match the teeth surrounding them. Porcelain
veneers will respond like the enamel of natural teeth, retaining a uniform smile look over many years.