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How To Get The Right Resin For Your Dental Veneers

There are many factors that can affect the shade of your veneers, such as material and veneer thickness. Before placing the veneers, your dentist will match the cosmetic shell to your adjacent teeth and make sure it looks good with your skin tone. While veneers don't stain easily, they can become discolored over time due to exposure to things like coffee or red wine. When you get your veneers, one aspect that can affect their color is the resin which will bond the veneers to your natural teeth. Here are some tips to get the right resin so that your veneers look great.

Go for Light-Cure Resins 

Veneers can be placed with two main resins: light-cured resins and dual-cure resins. With light-cured resins, the resin hardens and sets when it is exposed to UV light. Dual-cure resins also use some light, but they also use chemical initiation to activate. One study found that light-cured resins tend to expense minimal color changes and discoloration. While dual-cure cement can have good results with porcelain veneers, they seem to have a higher chance of discoloration — especially near the edge of the veneer (the margin line). So when would a dual-cure resin be better for your veneers? While light-cured resins work better at maintaining color, dual-cured resin works better at holding thicker veneer shells.

Choose Micro-filled Resins

Both light-cured resins and dual-cured resins work undergo a complex reaction called polymerization, where simple molecules change to form a more complex chain of polymers. Micro-filled resins contain silicon dioxide particles, which have the characteristics of enamel-like translucency and high polish. While micro-filled resins aren't great for posterior teeth since they can wear down easily, they are great for anterior teeth with veneers because they maintain a more natural-looking color. In some cases, people may be happy with a micro-filled resin's appearance and prefer to use the resin itself as the veneer shell rather than as a bonding agent. Resin can work well as a veneer material and can be more cost-effective than porcelain or ceramic veneers.

Use a Try-in Paste

Some resins come up with a try-in paste, which is a resin-based paste that allows you to preview the cementation of the porcelain veneers before they are permanently bonded to your teeth. Again, while the thickness of the veneer can affect color differences, try-in pastes tend to correspond really well with their resin cement and are a great way for patients to see the possible final color of their veneers.

These are just a few tips to keep in mind as you get fitted for your veneers. Light-cured, micro-filled resins can work well at maintaining color, and some people may be happy with the resin itself for their veneer. If you want to get a porcelain or ceramic veneer, then the try-in paste is a great way to see if the resin works well with the veneer shell. Reach out to your dentist today for more details.  


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