How do porcelain veneers and lava veneers differ?

A Name Brand: Porcelain is to lava as Aspirin is to bayer (aspirin). It is a specific brand of porcelain (with a specific chemistry using zirconia vs feldspathic porcelain) used to create lifelike veneers, crowns and bridgework. This picture is a lava restoration.

They are the same: Lava veneers are a type of porcelain veneer.

LAVA is: The brand proprietary to 3m espe. Many of the leading dental manufacturers have their own brand formulation of ceramics - procera, empress, emax, lumineers, etc. Porcelain veneer is a generic term. Your dentist is best equipped to determine which type of veneer would be best suited for your particular case, including prep or no prep veneers.

Brands and ...: There are many different types of porcelain or ceramic type veneers and crowns. They differ not only in manufacturers but also somewhat in physical properties such as compressive and shear strength and translucency just to mention a few. The most important criteria is to find a dentist with extensive experience and whom you trust, and not concern yourself with what material is used.

Brand vs product: Lava is a specific manufactured porcelain brand name. There are many names and brands for different porcelains.

Lava is NOT for vene: First, please understand that lava is not porcelain at all, it is zirconia core with porcelain layer placed on top of it. It is impossible to make veneers out of lava material! lava is only for crowns and bridges, never for veneers.

Types: There are a whole range of veneers... From feldspathic porcelain, to lithium disilicate, to leucite reinforced, to lava, and they all have differences in their cosmetic, opalescence, life-like characteristics and limits, and durability may differ as well, speak to your dentist about what is best for your goals.

Different materials: Porcelain veneers has been in use for several decades. LAVA is a very new material that combines slightly flexible 'resin' to the very brittle 'porcelain' ...giving it potentially more strength. In my office, I prefer EMAX veneers, whose chemical structure is lithium disilicate... Incredibly strong (I have one).

Material: Porcelain veneers can be fabricated a few different ways, but basically rely on application and firing of the porcelain. Lava veneers are made with a combination of nanoceramic particles (about 80%) and resin. Preparation of the tooth is similar. Porcelain has been around for many decades, used in veneers since the late 80's.