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Case DentalDate

Drill-free smile: straight composite veneers as an alternative to ceramics

The patient, 42 years old, presented to me wishing to have a beautiful smile but without drilling at all her teeth. She had orthodontic treatment, which was finished 8 months back, but the position of the frontals wasn’t ideal. Midline was shifted, and more importantly, wasn’t straight, which was very unaesthetic.

The patient was looking for an alternative to ceramic veneers, which she refused categorically as she wanted a no prep technique.

Dr. Bianca Prayle
Dr. Bianca Prayle

Prosthodontist/ General Dentist

Direct composite veneers are a minimally invasive cosmetic dental procedure and require one to tree visits, depending on the case.

This treatment is done  to improve the size, shape, length, form, and colour of the teeth, and it’s using the composite resin that we use for fillings. In general, it doesn’t  involve the preparation/drilling of the teeth unless the teeth are very bulky or have a dark colour.

The composite material is applied layer by layer until the desired shape and volume are achieved. At the end, shaping and polishing  is done using special techniques  and protocols to recreate the beautiful natural appearance of the veneers.

Everything  is done under rubber dam protection to avoid contamination  with saliva and blood and to achieve the best adhesion between the tooth and composite. Adhesive  procedures require  a dry and clean working field to ensure long-lasting  results.

To preview and test the shape and lenghts we decided to do a wax up  and mock up so that the patient has a better idea how the final result could look like.

After analysing the mock-up, we decided that opening the contact points between 11-21 and 21-22 was imperative necessary  in order to be able to change the crown angulation of the teeth.

11 and 21 had mesial and distal filling, so the preparation of the natural structures wasn’t  necessary.

The biggest advantage of this procedure is that it involves no drilling or shaving of the teeth, and anytime a chipping occurs can be easily repaired in the dental office in one visit without involving dental technicians.

This type of veneer provides a life-like, beautiful appearance that can last for 5 to 10 years, depending on the patient’s oral health and maintenance.