Can You Really Skip Teeth Whitening and Braces with Porcelain Veneers?

You have seen them everywhere.  Formerly snaggle-toothed stars suddenly have perfectly aligned, gleaming white teeth all due to Porcelain Veneers.  Is it true?  Can they correct any and all dental defect?  This thin sliver of tooth colored material layered over your tooth can actually be used to address a wide array of problems, like:

• Cracked or chipped teeth
• Crooked or misshapen teeth
• Misaligned teeth or gaps between teeth
• Stained teeth

The caveat is choosing your dentist wisely. 

One might say there are good and bad veneers (see photo above).  The truth is that it is not the veneer, but rather the technique, which is important.  Common complaints of a procedure gone wrong include:

• Bright white is not always right – When done correctly, your new teeth should complement your skin color and eye color. Teeth that or too white or those that have different colored top and bottom rows, make it easy to point out a faux smile.
• Uneven Steven – Poorly installed veneers can cause an uneven bite.  Forget esthetics, this can lead to problems with chewing or worse, jaw problems. Your newly sheathed teeth should feel natural in your mouth and fit without effecting the bite or smile.
• Chunky Chiclets – Your specialist needs to pay special attention to your natural tooth shape AND texture during the creation process.  Too smooth, too shiny and too white are all indicators of poor workmanship. 

Creating the perfect Porcelain Veneer is a very involved process that needs personalization to achieve a realistic-looking smile.   Your specialist needs to consider a list of factors to achieve the perfect smile, including each patient’s mouth structure, the patient’s face shape, lip fullness, as well as, the texture and size of the teeth.  Prosthodontists are highly trained in state-of-the-art techniques and procedures for treating many diverse and complex dental conditions and restoring optimum function and esthetics.  Choosing a Prosthodontist, like Dr. Omar Abdo to be the architect to your luminous, natural looking new smile will safeguard you from the pratfalls of poor installed veneers.  We welcome an opportunity to meet with you and discuss the smile of your dreams.