Facings

What is a facing?

A facing is a custom-made shield, consisting of porcelain or composite, that covers the front of your natural tooth.

Dental facings are used primarily to correct dissatisfaction with the color, position or shape of the teeth. Dental facings offer many opportunities for beautification: gaps between teeth, chipped teeth, crooked teeth and discolored teeth can be corrected. The dentist can work with you, based on your needs, to determine the best option for you.

Porcelain facing

When fabricating a porcelain facing, the dentist must first polish the tooth or teeth in question to create space for the placement of the facing. Next, the final impression is printed and sent to the dental laboratory. In addition, the desired color/shade is determined. A temporary facing is placed on the polished tooth to bridge the gap with the final facing. After receiving the impressions, the dental technician will fabricate the facing and send it back to the dentist. After about two weeks the final facing is ready and can be placed. The result is a natural and beautiful correction of the teeth.

The advantage of porcelain is that it is durable material that lasts a long time. The disadvantage is that your natural tooth substance must be polished to make room for the placement of the facing.

Composites facing

The fabrication and placement of a composite facing takes place in the practice and is done by the dentist. This is all done during one treatment.

Initially, the desired color is determined, and then the teeth are prepared for the bonding of the composite facing to the tooth. The composite is applied in several layers and hardened on the teeth to finally create the desired shape. Then the composite is polished to further enhance the result. Again, the result is a natural and beautiful correction of the teeth.

The advantage of composite is that it is less expensive than porcelain and does not require polishing of the natural edge material. The disadvantage, however, is that composite facings typically do not last as long as porcelain veneers, because they can fracture and discolor more easily.