Porcelain is a favored material for smile makeovers. Also referred to as ceramic, when used for fillings and other dental work the material can look exactly like a real tooth. Porcelain work is also significantly stronger than other dental materials.
Porcelain inlays are considered durable, with a manufacturing process that enables a high degree of accuracy in placing the inlay. Porcelain inlays bind onto the tooth and increase the overall strength of the tooth and can be used to repair somewhat damaged back teeth. They are made of very strong and durable industrial ceramics. Bonded into place with special adhesives, they hold the damaged parts of the tooth together.
Beverly Hills cosmetic dentist, Dr. Kourosh Maddahi, explains the use of porcelain in his practice, "The teeth that have points or cusps can have a ceramic inlay that lies inside the cusp tips of the tooth. Custom-made, they fit the cavity after it is prepared and are cemented into place. More substantive reconstruction can be needed that covers one or more of these cusps and that is an onlay."
Porcelain laminate veneers may be used when the demands of cosmetic changes in the mouth are too great for simple bonding. Sometimes referred to as laminates, porcelain veneers are painless, quick and can completely change a smile. These are used to alter color, shape, size and the arrangement of the teeth. This choice is often used instead of orthodontic work.
Porcelain can also be used for a crown. When most of the tooth is missing or strength is needed for chewing, jacket crowns made of porcelain can be suggested. They are known to be the most realistic look of all crown restorations. Porcelain jackets are pure porcelain crowns placed on a fully prepared tooth.

There are occasions when biting pressure is too great or teeth are loose because of periodontal disease, or the patient has missing teeth that must be filled in, then metal alloy must be placed under the porcelain for strength. The porcelain is fused to the metal. Less tooth structure is removed to accommodate both metal and porcelain. Once an impression is taken, a metal coping is made on the prepared tooth. This is then covered with porcelain.
If individual back teeth are broken down but some good healthy tooth structure remains, porcelain fused to gold inlays are often used. Dr. Maddahi explains, "This is the strongest and longest lasting back teeth restoration procedure. Porcelain adheres to gold better than any other metal and additionally, gold is a hypoallergenic material. The benefit of this restoration is the advantage of gold underneath which supports the tooth during heavy biting, therefore protecting the tooth and the nerve."
Dr. Kourosh Maddahi, has been specializing in creating beautiful, natural smiles for 20 years and is located in Beverly Hills at 436 N. Roxbury Drive, Suite 202 and can be reached at 310-888-7797.