Veneers and Onlays

Just like a false nail fits over the existing nail, a veneer is a thin layer of porcelain/white filling made to fit over the front surface of an existing tooth. This can be done in two ways – a matched colour ‘composite’ material placed by the dentist or a laboratory made piece of porcelain. Veneers can improve the colour, shape and position of your teeth. A precise shade of porcelain can be chosen to give the right colour to improve a single discoloured or stained tooth or to lighten front teeth (usually the upper ones) generally. Veneers can also be used to close small gaps, when orthodontics (braces) are not suitable. If one tooth is slightly out of position, a veneer can sometimes be fitted to bring it into line with the others. An onlay is a custom made ‘tooth coloured’ material (made from a variety of materials) as an insert to replace lost or weakened tooth – for functional and aesthetic reasons. It fits like a jigsaw into a prepared back tooth. List of crowns available at Kingscourt Dental Practice, metal crowns, metal fused to porcelain and metal-free aesthetic crowns. Ask your dentist for more information.