Veneers are one of the most famous dental prosthesis of today. Have you ever thought about the history of this popular treatment option?

Back in the day, veneers were invented by California dentist Charles Pincus in 1928. It was initially used for a film shoot for temporarily changing the appearance of actors’ teeth. Originally, dental veneers were developed as merely a temporary way to improve the dental appearance. Dental veneers first made an appearance in Hollywood way back in 1928. For the purpose of improving the function of dental veneers, acrylic veneers were developed in 1937, which could be attached using denture adhesive. And actor could then have a bright shining smile for the big screen

In 1959, dentists began bonding veneers onto the enamel of a tooth, providing a longer, though still temporary cosmetic alteration. Later on, research that was conducted resulted in a more permanent solution, providing durable bonding between the tooth structure and the veneer with a stronger bonding material.

It was not until 1982, however, when research took place which showed that porcelain veneers could be etched with hydrofluoric acid which it was felt would enable the placement of veneers to be bonded onto the tooth permanently. With the improvement regarding design and equipment as well as the bonding agents, it is now reasonable to expect a veneer to last up to 3 decades although several factors other than wear and tear may lead to patients needing replacement over his or her lifetime. For example, the veneer may become weakened or cracked or discolored, or the gum may recede and lead to decay. However, with care and perhaps a slight luck, most veneers will be great living bringing that ‘Hollywood smile’ to their wearers.

Today, we know that porcelain is still by far the strongest veneer material and resists stains better than other material options. Another alternative is the composites. Composite bondings are not only more rapid, but they also blend well with your teeth, but they often don’t last as long as ceramic veneers.

There are a few ways to classify the types of veneers. It can be based on their
1) Labial Surface Coverage
2) Interproximal preparations
3) Methods of production
4) Materials

The method of preparation differs between dental practitioners. Take for example the ways of interproximal preparation. Some dentists would opt for no contact point involvement, others would be happy to make the teeth preparation up to the contact point level, whereas the others would prep the tooth pass contact point. Also, regarding labial surface coverage, there are basically 3 types: No incisal involvement, Feathered incisal edge
and the Incisal overlap.

In conclusion, times have changed, and we’re living in the age of abundance and of many choices. In the past, the only way to correct dental imperfections was to cover the tooth with a crown. Today, in most cases, there are several possibilities from which to pick: crown, composite resin bonding, cosmetic contouring or orthodontics.