Porcelain Laminates Aka Veneers

Dr. Parviz Edalat is one of the pioneers of cosmetic dentistry specialising in porcelain laminates aka veneers and crowns and bridges since the early 1980s. Teaching as a tenured professor at the prestigious New York University Dental Center and in private practice at his Central Park South location since 1982.
Since then Dr. Edalat has placed countless laminates and other bonded porcelain restorations for people form all walks of life including top models, actors, singers and international dignitaries.

His family owned dental practice which includes his son Dr. Arya Edalat and his daughter Dr. Maryam Edalat has made this highly specialised team one of the foremost cosmetic dental practices in New York City. Besides their vast experience and training which is over 40 years including teaching and practicing the art of cosmetic dentistry and prosthetic rehabilitation.

One of the key differentials of Dr. Edalat’s practice is that their patients can complete the entire treatment by certified specialists who communicate in detail all aspects of the treatment that are interrelated for optimal results, all in the same office. Therefore the treatments are completed faster and with better results. Most patients don’t like the inconvenience of having to go to different offices to complete their work. There is also the risk that the adequate timing sequence to complete a certain treatment may be jeopardised when it is being done at different offices thus compromising the final result. Also since the work is being done in different offices there may be a miscommunication between the referring doctors which may also compromise the desired final result.

Porcelain veneers, porcelain laminates or prepless porcelain laminates, as they are sometimes referred to are wafer-thin, custom made porcelain restorations that are bonded directly to the surface of prepared teeth. These bonded porcelain restorations are an ultra conservative option to restoring teeth. These procedures follow the Biomimetic principle of dentistry by attempting to emulate the natural form, function and aesthetics of natural teeth.

Porcelain laminates are the ideal treatment for:

  • Closing gaps between teeth
  • Aligning crooked or rotated teeth
  • Restoring fractured teeth
  • Restoring teeth with existing large white fillings that are different shades than the teeth thus compromising the natural aesthetics of the teeth
  • Disguising discolored teeth, and often giving a total smile makeover in cases where there are crooked, misaligned, rotated or broken teeth.

PATIENT EDUCATION VIDEOS

Ask Your Dentist: Veneers

PATIENT EDUCATION VIDEOS

Did You Know: Veneers

Veneers are a viable and more conservative alternative to traditional crowns, following the biomimetic principle of tooth restorations by using dental materials that are more similar in strength and aesthetics to the natural tooth structure. Full coverage crowns are more invasive by nature where the entire tooth structure needs to be shaved down in order to place the restoration.
Laminates are more aesthetically pleasing by creating a completely natural life like tooth appearance in translucency and color and not prone to chipping or discoloring as with composite bonding materials.

These porcelain shells are what one often sees on top models and actors when they have undergone smile makeovers. To get such natural results, it is necessary to have the knowledge, technical skills and craftsmanship of a cosmetic dentist as well a master ceramist.

The porcelain laminate treatment time may require two or more dental appointments each at a week or more apart to finalize the case, depending on the complexity of the case. Therefore the treatment time may take anywhere between two weeks to a month or longer to finalize, depending on the complexity of the particular case.

The cost of any dental treatment varies depending on several factors such as the experience, technical knowledge and artistic sensitivity of the dentist plus his master ceramist and dental technicians involved. The dental materials used, including the material used by the dental laboratory such as the type of metals and ceramics employed.

PATIENT EDUCATION VIDEOS

Thin Veneers


The classic porcelain laminates and prep less porcelain laminates are made of hand crafted Feldspathic porcelain which due to its intrinsic characteristics the ceramist is able to enhance the aesthetic aspect of the laminates better than other types of ceramics used. Feldspathic porcelain enables extremely sophisticated effects of colour and translucency! The final result is an aesthetically pleasing restoration mimicking the natural tooth appearance with ideal anatomy and shade that is perfectly balanced by optimising the value (brightness), chroma (saturation) and hue (colour) of the desired tooth shade.

PATIENT EDUCATION VIDEOS

Veneers


Dr. Edalat’s team specialise in SMILE REJUVENATION TREATMENTS creating the ideal faciodental harmony thus reversing the aging process. The goal is to redefine a smile line that matches the unique character and personality of the patient.

The harmonious aesthetic integration is a subjective matter which varies from person to person in relation to the patient’s smile, face shape, age, and character.

To achieve optimal results, a combined technical and artistic effort is necessary. Dr. Edalat has an acute intuition and sensitivity, his talent to accurately perceive the unique and dynamic character of a patient is what distinguishes him in the highly specialised field of cosmetic dentistry.

By recovering the faciodental harmony between the teeth, gums and lips there is a positive social and personal impact reported by most patients. Frequently, obvious signs of improved appearance can be noted such as changes in hair style, remodelling of the lips and a more confident natural smile. Patients mention that they feel more confident to smile and that they feel sexy and empowered by their smile rejuvenation treatment. The individuals social and professional life also benefit from their improved confidence to smile more. It is this enormous satisfaction that has driven Dr. Edalat’s team to consistently create state of the art smile designs since 1982 !

Porcelain laminates have more advantages than just improving the aesthetic harmony of the smile. There are functional advantages as well. They increase the mechanical strength and restore the original tooth stiffness especially when the ceramic is thick enough to reproduce the original crown volume and length. The functional features of teeth restored by bonded ceramic restorations are identical to that of intact natural teeth.

Therefore the much marketed ultra thin laminates have their proper indication for the right case but they are not meant to be used for every case; depending on how much tooth structure has been lost the optical thickness of the porcelain laminates will vary.

The patients are advised that often before starting the treatment of porcelain laminates it is necessary to do a tooth whitening procedure (tooth bleaching) in order to determine how much lighter the teeth can become so that the ceramist will use the lightest shade of feldspathic porcelain for optical aesthetic results.

Depending on the case, if there needs to be an increase in tooth volume, size or length a prep less technique can be used for the porcelain laminates.

In other cases when there needs to be a decrease in the tooth volume or length more preparation of the tooth is necessary in order to enable the correct anatomy and an aesthetically natural marginal adaptation where the gums meet the teeth and the porcelain laminates. Like this there will be no micro ledge at the gingival margin, which may promote bacterial plaque formation and subsequent gum disease in the long term, causing an aesthetic and functional failure in the mid to longterm. This is a disadvantage of the prep less veneer technique.

The other disadvantage of the prep less technique to place porcelain laminates is that in some cases the laminate does not wrap around the incisal edge of the tooth therefore the ceramist is limited in enhancing the incised edge characterizations which are essential for a natural and beautiful laminate. This can lead to patient dissatisfaction.

When the incisal edge of the tooth is not covered by the porcelain laminate another aesthetic compromise may result and that is the incisal edge of the natural tooth is exposed and placed side by side with the porcelain laminate. Therefore there may be a difference in colours between the natural tooth incisal edge and the porcelain laminates incisal edge.

Dr. Edalat’s team verifies the scientific, artistic, and technical aspects of each case and their master ceramists execute their hand crafted work to create natural looking porcelain laminates, crowns and bridges Dr. Edalat communicates intimately with his lab technicians on each case through photos, videos and when necessary taking his patients to his dental laboratory to achieve optimal results according to his high standards of care. For example, if a particular case is more challenging to obtain the exact shade of the porcelain laminates or crowns and bridges, the in lab visit with the collaboration of the triad team: patient, ceramist and the doctor facilitates this task, thus expediting the treatment and saving substantial time and energy for the patient.

An often overlooked aspect of restoring the teeth with porcelain laminates, ceramic crowns and bridges is to maintain or reestablish the correct bite (occlusion) in order to have long term success of the bonded porcelain restorations and the remaining natural teeth. The ideal occlusal scheme is known as anterior guidance which generates the least stress on the bonded porcelain restorations and the stomatognathic system which includes the teeth, jaws and soft tissues. Dr. Edalat is specialised in the art of occlusal equilibration.

Misaligned teeth can cause headaches.

What is Occlusion?

The way your teeth fit together is called occlusion. When teeth are crooked or out of alignment, called malocclusion or a bad bite, serious issues can occur.

Teeth in malocclusion can be crooked, have gaps between teeth, or be too crowded.

Teeth that are out of alignment can cause headaches, pain in the jaw joints, neck and shoulder pain, and worn or chipped teeth. Misaligned and crooked teeth can be harder to keep clean which can lead to tooth decay and, possibly, periodontal disease.

The first steps

If we determine that orthodontics can help you, we’ll do a thorough exam, take photos of your face and teeth, and x-rays to show us what’s going on below the gumline.

We may also take an x-ray that shows us how the profile may be enhanced by orthodontic treatment.

Impressions are then made, and used to create a model of your mouth. We’ll use this information to design a plan specifically for your case and discuss the next steps with you.

When you get your teeth into proper occlusion, you’re making a commitment to your health, and you’re on your way to a beautiful smile.

The internationally recognised works of Dr Edalat’s master ceramist are the fruit of more than 20 years of dedication practicing and teaching at prestigious dental schools internationally, catering to the elite dental professionals and their most demanding patients, and coauthoring books on the advanced aesthetic techniques. Members of the prestigious Oral Design International Foundation, The American society for Dental Aesthetics, and the Dental Laboratory Association of New York. Recognised as one of the preeminent instructors of advanced oral design techniques in the world. Director and clinical professor at the prestigious New York University College of Dentistry continuing dental education course entitled “ Mastering Aesthetics and ceramics”.

Dr. Edalat’s team offers smile evaluations during which he addresses each patient’s profile in a relaxed and friendly environment. Part of the teams smile evaluation is based on a complete smile analyses which evaluates both the functional and aesthetic aspects of each treatment. As the functional aspects are considered the occlusion which is the bite of the patient. This is how each individual bites down and how the teeth meet in a three dimensional relationship. Since the individuals bite directly affects the success of each treatment both aesthetically and functionally, an incorrect bite relationship may need to be corrected first prior to restoring the desired teeth for aesthetic means.

Other important functional aspects which must be evaluated prior to starting any definitive restorative work are the health of the surrounding gums and bone which support the teeth. This is Dr. Edalat’s teams forte because they are certified specialists in both fields which go hand in hand to ensure the success of any dental treatment. This is the domain of PERIODONTICS which involves restoring the health of the gums and bone to achieve both a functional and aesthetic foundation for the teeth to be restored. The gingival architecture is the relationship of the height and form of the gingival contours around the teeth. There is a gingival symmetry that needs to be intact in order to achieve a balanced and harmonious faciodental composition which includes the lips, surrounding gums and teeth involved. if the gingival architecture is not ideal, the patient will be informed prior to starting any aesthetic restorative treatment regarding the need to first establish an ideal gingival symmetry and architecture using plastic surgical techniques to achieve the desired form of the surrounding gums. As such the patients receive a comprehensive treatment plan which consistently yield optimal aesthetic and functional results. This is another reason why Dr. Edalat’s patients are satisfied during their treatments because they have the confidence that they are being treated by a highly experienced and caring family team of cosmetic specialists.

Other dental aspects that need to be evaluated prior to starting any restorative aesthetic treatment is the actual health of each tooth regarding its structural integrity and if their nerve complex is healthy or not. Teeth that have has previous root canal treatments are closely evaluated as to the success of the root canal treatment rendered and wether a retreatment needs to be done prior to the restorative work. Also if the teeth have any previous resin fillings placed, the integrity of such restorations are carefully evaluated and if needed due to possible recurrent caries the restorations are replaced to ensure the teeth are sound and healthy.

Another important aspect to be evaluated prior to starting the desired aesthetic restorative case is if the teeth are in the correct position or if they need to have braces and orthodontic therapy to align the teeth properly. As such the final restorative result will have optimal results and consistently high patient satisfaction.

The other certified specialty of Dr. Edalat is PROSTHODONTICS which is the art and science of restoring the teeth to achieve the desired functional and aesthetic results. The common procedures of this specialty include Porcelain laminates, prepless porcelain laminates, all ceramic crowns and bridges, porcelain fused to metal crowns and bridges, implants and bite equilibration to have adequate masticatory efficiency.

An important aspect to determine the success of Dr. Edalat’s Porcelain laminates and crowns and bridges is the SMILE DESIGN PREVIEW technique which is employed so the patient will see the final desired aesthetic result by the temporaries that are custom made by his master ceramist. These temporary teeth are most often placed without the need to actually prepare the teeth by shaving them down, so the patients feel more comfortable with this SMILE DESIGN PREVIEW analysis. As such the triad team of doctor, patient and ceramist technician can carefully and closely evaluate each important detail of the aesthetic treatment and make the appropriate necessary changes to enhance the aesthetic results so both the doctor and patient will be completely satisfied with the final result. Other important communication tools that are used between the doctors, the patient and the ceramist are photographs of the final desired result, videos by the doctors showing the temporary teeth worn by the patient to the laboratory technicians and master ceramist showing every detail that need to be improved upon. Also diagnostic models of the upper and lower teeth are used to show the patient their specific bite relationship and how it affects the final desired result.


PATIENT REVIEWS

My husband and I both needed extensive dental work…and so, we actually flew to New York to see Dr. Edalat, after meeting one of his students who had raved about Dr. Edalat and his office. Both my husband and I feel and look so much better after our treatment. We wouldn’t dream of seeing any other dentist ever again!”

Louise C. – Kent, England