What are componeers and what are their advantages in comparison with veneers?

Composite veneers – how are they better than composite veneers? Their main features and advantages

Componeers are thin restoration linings that are fixed on the front side of the teeth in order to hide visible defects and make a smile beautiful and snow-white. Essentially, these are the same veneers, but with some fundamental differences. For example, these plates are based on a special material – a nanohybrid composite, and the patent for the development of the technology for its creation belongs to the Swiss company Coltеne/Whaledent AG. Read more about what componers are and how exactly they are attached to teeth, as well as the difference between these and other types of restoration onlays further in this article.

Peculiarities

Composite veneer is an imitation of tooth enamel.
This is a thin product that is attached to the patient’s teeth, masking defects: yellowness, stains, chips. Onlays are installed on the entire dentition or attached only to some teeth. Additional features include protection from damage and exposure to hot or cold. The cost of composite veneers is lower if you need to recreate the former beauty of a smile quickly and inexpensively, for this reason doctors offer them. Their characteristics are not inferior to ceramic and porcelain linings.

Products are selected if 60% of the tooth is preserved. The price of composite veneers is lower than installing a high-quality prosthesis. If a patient's tooth enamel is quickly worn away, the dentist will recommend these onlays.

When choosing veneers for the front teeth, doctors together with the patient specify the shape and color. The doctor's stock includes sets of pads from different manufacturers. Companies produce packages with products for the lower or upper dentition, individual pairs of incisors and canines.

If the patient wants, you can change the shape of the teeth by installing one or another model. All that remains is to “adjust” the product so that the patient does not feel discomfort when eating. Installation of composite veneers on teeth is quick: the doctor places the selected models on damaged crowns and polymerizes them. After 1-1.5 hours the procedure is completed.

Twice a year it is necessary to correct the installed plates to restore their original shine and eliminate any roughness that has appeared.

Componeers

Dentists of modern clinics in St. Petersburg or other large cities of the Russian Federation offer to install an innovative subtype of plates - componeers (from Componeer - a technology patented by the Swiss company Coltene/Whaledent). These are ultra-thin overlays that imitate healthy, snow-white tooth enamel.

The material is a complex of highly filled composite nanohybrids that have undergone polymerization or exposure under pressure during production. Due to these processes, the finished overlay has no pores, the material is durable and will last longer.

The price of composites is higher than conventional records made of composites. But the pads made from the nanohybrid complex do not stain when the patient drinks coffee or lemonade. There is no need to polish them twice a year: they retain their shine throughout the entire period of use.

Indications and contraindications for installation

Componeers are the same as composite veneers, but a special type of composite material is used to create them. This is a special nanohybrid composite, which due to polymerization becomes more resistant to mechanical loads. The composition also contains ceramic filler. All this makes the finished material less porous, and therefore more reliable and durable1. As a result, microprostheses are wear-resistant, and their service life is noticeably increased.

Componeers – thin restoration overlays

It should also be noted that we are talking about ready-made overlays. The material is not applied to the teeth in layers, but the plates are fixed during one visit. There is a fairly wide range of models from which the patient, together with a specialist, selects products of a suitable shape and color. During the installation process, the doctor only adjusts the composite to the anatomical features of each incisor and canine.

Among the indications for this method of restoration, experts in the field of dentistry include the following cases:

• change in the color of one incisor or a group of teeth falling within the smile zone,
• slight curvature of incisors and canines, for example, due to crowding,
• darkening of fillings in the front part of the jaw,
• tetracycline teeth - discoloration of crowns due to taking antibiotics of the tetracycline group,
• chips and microcracks,
• large interdental spaces – trema and diastema,
• thinning of the enamel and its increased sensitivity - hyperesthesia,
• pathological abrasion of enamel,
• the patient’s desire to become the owner of a beautiful snow-white smile.

Indications for use may be darkened teeth

“For as long as I can remember, I have always been terribly embarrassed to smile. The front teeth were slightly crooked, and no matter how much I brushed them, they did not become white, although they were healthy, strong, and there was never even much caries. They are like this from birth, unattractive. Therefore, at 27 years old, I decided to get veneers. When I went to the doctor, he told me that there are different options and recommended componeers. In the end, I did everything in one visit, but I’ll say right away that the procedure is not quick. I'm very pleased with the result! Now I smile widely and boldly!”

Selena G., from correspondence on the 32top.ru forum

However, there are a number of contraindications in which experts recommend refusing to install componers. Such cases include bruxism, that is, involuntary clenching of the jaws and grinding of teeth, mainly during sleep. Also, it will not be possible to fix the plates on severely damaged teeth or if there are serious malocclusions. Before restoration, it is imperative to undergo a professional procedure. hygiene to remove plaque, supra- and subgingival deposits.

What are the good things about componers and what are their disadvantages?

One of the main advantages of this restoration method is its relatively affordable cost. Unlike veneers and even more so lumineers, componeers cost patients much less. Other obvious advantages of this type of lining include the following:

• high aesthetics - according to reviews from patients and experts, you can choose the color of the material that will exactly match the natural color of the enamel of adjacent teeth. In addition, with the help of such restoration plates you can easily disguise minor external flaws, adjust the shape and shade of incisors and fangs,
• a wide selection of finished products - yes, these are template plates, but they are presented in a wide range where you can find any shape and suitable shade,
• quick results - installation is carried out in just one visit, without first taking impressions and waiting for the products to be ready,
• additional protection of the enamel - like veneers and lumineers, compositers provide a kind of protective barrier from external influences, including mechanical, temperature and chemical factors,
• possibility of repair - if a chip appears, the integrity and aesthetics of the componer can be restored using a direct method, and for this it is not at all necessary to completely replace the plate,
• there is no need for frequent polishing - while classic composite veneers quickly lose their vibrant shine and become dull, this does not happen with composite veneers. They do not need to be polished every six months to maintain their original aesthetic appearance.

One of the main advantages of the products is considered to be high aesthetics and relatively affordable cost
. As for the disadvantages, it is worth mentioning the relative durability of the products. The material itself was introduced only in 2011, so there is simply no confirmed clinical data on the actual service life of compositors.

Advantages and disadvantages

One of the main advantages is the affordable cost. Componers cost significantly less than porcelain veneers or lumineers. Other advantages of these pads include:

1. Good aesthetic appearance. There are many types of such onlays, so the doctor will be able to choose the most suitable tooth shade. Componers will help hide a defect both on one tooth and immediately on the dentition.
2. Fast dental restoration. It only takes one visit to install the overlays. This is because the doctor does not need to take an impression and wait for the dental technician to do his work.
3. Protecting enamel from external negative influences. Composite veneers are a barrier that protects teeth from temperature changes and mechanical damage. Overlays reduce the risk of developing caries several times.
4. Quick repair. If the lining comes off, then it is simply replaced with a new one, which will be no different from the previous one. There is no need to wait until it is made, because the doctor does all this during the appointment.

The color of the componer must be selected under different lighting sources. This should be not only daylight and artificial light, but also ultraviolet radiation.

Vita scale for selecting color shades

The only disadvantage of such linings is that their service life has not yet been established. This is due to the fact that they began to be used only in 2011. However, it is known that their normal condition will last less than that of ceramic linings. Gradually, the color of the enamel may begin to change.

Since componeers are formed directly in the oral cavity, the doctor is limited in time. Therefore, the onlays themselves are more primitive in comparison with the ceramic ones that the dental technician works on.

Plus, ordinary veneers are not polished, but it is advisable to polish composite veneers several times a year, otherwise they will lose their original shine. Componers are polished directly in the mouth.

Preparing to fix the overlays

It is imperative to prepare for restoration. If there are carious cavities, they will need to be filled. If there have been fillings in the smile area for a long time, they may need to be replaced with new ones. Another important condition is to undergo the procedure of Prof. hygiene. Before installing onlays, you need to remove plaque and tartar.

Before the installation procedure, a prof. dental hygiene

How to install components

To begin with, the doctor, together with the patient, selects the shape and color of the plates. To do this, the specialist fixes the onlays on the teeth one by one, using a temporary adhesive. After the final decision is made, the teeth are polished and turned. In some cases, preparation can be avoided, but most often the crowns still have to be prepared.

The doctor removes a thin layer from the frontal surface, cutting edge and spaces between the incisors, and also forms the gingival margin. Only after this is the composite fixed, for which the specialist uses a special composite solution. And so, by analogy, he restores each subsequent tooth.

The overlays are fixed to a special composite

Rules for caring for teeth after installation of veneers

Despite the fact that the material is quite strong and wear-resistant, in the future it is better for the patient to maintain a high level of hygiene and try to avoid mechanical damage. There are no dietary restrictions, but you should still be careful when biting off hard foods with your front teeth. Experts recommend stopping chewing seeds and cracking nut shells with your teeth. All this can lead to chips and cracks in the plates.

Experts recommend stopping chewing seeds

Otherwise, the principles of hygiene are no different from the standard ones, but they should be observed with increased responsibility: brush your teeth every morning and evening, use floss and rinse your mouth after every meal, limit the consumption of sweets, carbonated drinks and coloring foods, and also visit the dentist for preventive care at least twice a year.

1According to information presented at the office. developer website: coltene.com.

Veneers or componeers: which is better?

What is better to choose – veneers or composites – is one of the most common dilemmas among patients in need of artistic dental restoration. Despite the fact that both systems perform a similar function, the differences between ceramic and composite veneers and composite veneers are also very significant.

Based on the quality of the product, aesthetics and durability, then ceramic veneers are the best option. However, such restorations are expensive. Therefore, composite veneers are offered as an alternative. Such a restoration requires experience and good aesthetic taste from the doctor, otherwise the overlays will turn into ordinary fillings. Componers partly solve the quality problem, since they are used ready-made.

Some experts note that the adherence of composite materials to the tooth surface is not sufficiently reliable compared to veneers. The lack of long-term results of application is also a relative disadvantage of the technology.