Posted by writeradmin
I was hoping to get six porcelain veneers for my smile makeover. He said Lumineers would be just the thing. However, my dentist said before I do that I will need teeth whitening and Invisalign. Is that really necessary? I do have a slightly crooked front tooth but it isn’t bad and I thought that porcelain veneers could make teeth look straight. Am I missing something?
Kate
Dear Kate,
You are correct that, in the hands of a skilled cosmetic dentist, porcelain veneers can make crooked teeth look straight. Invisalign, while a great way to straighten teeth discreetly, should not be necessary in your case. The fact that your dentist is indicating that you need Invisalign, may be an indication that he is in over his head and didn’t feel like he could handle that part of it.
Porcelain veneers are an advanced procedure that requires post-doctoral training along with some artistic skill on the part of the dentist. I have a suspicion your dentist does not have that training. The fact that he not only is recommending Invisalign, but he also suggested Lumineers bears this out as well. Lumineers are highly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place. However, the results can be disappointing, both because of the lab that dentists are required to use for this brand and because the dentists that use them rarely have the training and artistry to make them beautiful and natural looking.
The teeth whitening is a different story. Most smile are eight to ten teeth wide. If you are getting six veneers, there will be an obvious difference, especially in color between the remaining visible teeth. Having your teeth whitened before getting your veneers solves this problem and allows the teeth to blend in naturally with your smile makeover. Even if you were getting ten veneers, you still need to have teeth whitening done on your bottom arch.
I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. John Theriot.