If chips, stubborn discoloration, small gaps, or uneven teeth keep you from feeling confident about your smile, porcelain veneers may offer a lasting cosmetic solution. At Riverside Family Dental, Dr. David Blanchard provides veneers in Menomonee Falls, WI, with an emphasis on natural proportions, careful planning, and results designed to complement your face.
Veneers can change the color, shape, size, and overall appearance of visible teeth. For patients considering a larger smile transformation, Dr. Blanchard can also combine veneers with other cosmetic dentistry options, including clear aligners and teeth whitening.
Before deciding on treatment, you can also explore how changes to your smile may look with Riverside Family Dental’s Smile Design Preview.
What Are Porcelain Veneers?
Porcelain veneers are thin ceramic restorations bonded to the front surfaces of teeth. Each veneer is designed to improve the appearance of a tooth while blending with the surrounding smile.
Veneers may be used to address concerns such as:
- Chipped or cracked teeth
- Deep discoloration that does not respond well to whitening
- Small spaces between teeth
- Uneven or worn tooth edges
- Teeth that appear too small or disproportionate
- Minor alignment concerns
- Differences in tooth shape
At Riverside Family Dental, Dr. Blanchard customizes the color, shape, size, and translucency of veneers so they work with your natural teeth rather than looking overly uniform or artificial.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Veneers in Menomonee Falls?
Veneers can be a good option for adults who are generally happy with the health and position of their teeth but want to change what they see when they smile.
Good candidates typically have healthy teeth and gums and enough healthy tooth structure to support veneers. Your bite, enamel, oral hygiene, and cosmetic goals all play a role in deciding whether veneers make sense.
Veneers may be especially useful if you have already completed orthodontic treatment with braces or clear aligners but still want to change the shape, size, or color of certain teeth.
They are not the right solution for every situation. Untreated decay, gum disease, significant tooth damage, certain bite concerns, or extensive tooth loss may need to be addressed first. Patients missing several teeth may benefit more from restorative solutions such as dental implants or All-on-X treatment.
Your consultation gives Dr. Blanchard an opportunity to evaluate both appearance and function before recommending a treatment plan.
Preview Your Smile Before Treatment
One of the hardest parts of cosmetic dentistry can be imagining the finished result.
Riverside Family Dental uses digital smile design technology to make that process easier. With the Smile Design Preview, the team can use digital information about your teeth, gumline, alignment, and facial features to visualize possible changes before treatment begins.
The design can be adjusted to compare different tooth shapes, sizes, positions, and proportions. This gives you a more active role in planning your smile, rather than relying solely on verbal descriptions or example photos.
For patients considering veneers or a broader smile makeover, that preview can help create clearer expectations before moving forward.
Five Benefits of Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers can address several cosmetic concerns at the same time.
1. Improve Stubborn Discoloration
Some stains are difficult to change with professional whitening alone. Veneers cover the visible surface of the tooth, allowing its apparent shade to be changed more dramatically.
2. Refine Tooth Shape and Size
Veneers can add visual length, improve proportions, smooth uneven edges, and create greater balance between neighboring teeth.
3. Close Small Gaps
In select cases, veneers can close minor spaces without orthodontic treatment. Larger spacing or alignment problems may still be better treated with clear aligners first.
4. Create a More Consistent Smile
When several front teeth vary in color, shape, or proportion, veneers can create a more harmonious appearance while still being customized tooth by tooth.
5. Provide a Durable, Stain-Resistant Surface
Porcelain is more resistant to staining than natural tooth enamel. Veneers still require regular brushing, flossing, professional dental care, and sensible habits to protect both the restorations and the teeth underneath them.
You can also view Riverside Family Dental’s before-and-after results to see examples of the types of smile changes the practice provides.
What to Expect During Veneer Treatment
Every veneer case is different, but treatment generally begins with a detailed cosmetic consultation.
Consultation and Smile Planning
You will discuss what you like and dislike about your current smile as well as the changes you would like to see. Dr. Blanchard can evaluate your teeth, gums, bite, and overall oral health to determine whether veneers are appropriate.
Digital imaging and smile-design technology may also be used to help visualize potential results.
Tooth Preparation
Porcelain veneers often require a small amount of tooth preparation so the restorations can fit naturally and securely. The amount of enamel adjusted depends on your teeth and treatment design.
Dr. Blanchard will explain what needs to be changed before treatment so you understand the process and alternatives.
Impressions or Digital Records
Detailed records of your teeth are used to create veneers that fit your smile and bite. Your restorations are customized rather than selected from a standard shape or size.
Temporary Veneers
Depending on your treatment plan, temporary restorations may protect your teeth and give you an idea of the proposed appearance while your final veneers are being completed.
Final Placement
Once the final veneers are ready, Dr. Blanchard checks their fit, appearance, proportions, and bite. Adjustments can be made before the veneers are securely bonded to the teeth.
You will also receive guidance for caring for your new smile at home.
Can Veneers Be Combined With Clear Aligners?
Yes. Some patients benefit from using clear aligners before veneers.
Clear aligners move teeth into healthier or more attractive positions, while veneers change characteristics such as shape, size, proportion, and color. Using both treatments can allow each one to address the problem it is best suited for.
For example, significant crowding may be corrected first with aligners. Veneers can then address remaining concerns such as uneven edges, chips, proportions, or discoloration.
Dr. Blanchard can determine whether veneers alone or a combination of treatments makes more sense for your goals.
Frequently Asked Questions About Veneers
How long do veneers last?
Porcelain veneers are designed as a long-term cosmetic restoration, but they are not expected to last forever. Their lifespan depends on factors such as oral hygiene, bite forces, grinding or clenching, diet, and how well they are cared for.
Routine dental visits allow your dentist to monitor both the veneers and the supporting teeth and gums.
Do veneers look natural?
Well-designed veneers should complement your natural features rather than look obviously artificial. Their shade, translucency, dimensions, and contours can all be customized.
Riverside Family Dental’s Smile Design Preview also allows potential changes in tooth position, shape, and size to be visualized before treatment.
Can veneers fix crooked teeth?
Veneers can visually improve minor misalignment in certain cases, but they do not physically move teeth like orthodontic treatment does.
If crowding, rotation, or bite problems are more significant, clear aligners may be recommended before considering veneers.
Are veneers reversible?
Porcelain veneers commonly require some enamel alteration, which means treatment should generally be considered a long-term commitment.
The amount of preparation varies by case. Dr. Blanchard can explain how much tooth structure would need to be changed and whether another treatment, such as bonding, whitening, orthodontics, or a crown, may be more appropriate.
Do porcelain veneers stain?
Porcelain veneers are highly resistant to staining compared with natural enamel. However, the natural teeth surrounding them can still change color, and plaque can still collect around veneer margins.
Consistent brushing, flossing, professional cleanings, and routine exams remain important after treatment.
What if I grind my teeth?
Grinding and clenching can place additional force on veneers and other restorations. If you grind your teeth at night, Dr. Blanchard may recommend protective strategies such as a nightguard based on your individual situation.
Can veneers replace missing teeth?
No. Veneers cover existing teeth; they do not replace missing teeth.
For missing teeth, restorative options such as dental implants, bridges, or full-arch solutions may be more appropriate. Riverside Family Dental also provides implant and All-on-X treatment for patients with more extensive tooth loss.
Why Choose Dr. David Blanchard for Veneers?
Cosmetic dentistry requires more than simply making teeth brighter or straighter. The shape, proportions, position, and shade of each tooth need to work together with your gums, bite, and facial features.
Dr. David Blanchard is a Wisconsin native who completed his dental education at the University of Michigan after studying Medical Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Wisconsin. He has also traveled to Arizona, Seattle, Chicago, and California for additional training with cosmetic and reconstructive dentists.
The practice also serves patients from Menomonee Falls, Germantown, Brookfield, and surrounding Wisconsin communities.
You can hear directly from people who have received care from the practice through Riverside Family Dental’s patient stories.
Schedule a Veneer Consultation in Menomonee Falls
If you are ready to change chipped, discolored, uneven, or disproportionate teeth, schedule a cosmetic consultation with Dr. David Blanchard at Riverside Family Dental.
Your visit can include an evaluation of your teeth and bite, a discussion of your cosmetic goals, and a review of options such as porcelain veneers, clear aligners, whitening, or a combination of treatments. You can also explore your potential results with digital smile-design technology before committing to treatment.
Riverside Family Dental is located at N84 W15865 Appleton Ave in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. New patients can call (262) 254-6815 or request an appointment to get started.