Theriot Family Dental

Invisalign AND Porcelain Veneers?

Posted by writeradmin

I saved up for porcelain veneers to make my teeth look better and younger. they’re showing their age in the color. I was thinking porcelain veneers because I have one front tooth that is a little crooked and I read online that porcelain veneers can make teeth look straight. When I went to see my dentist, he said I would need to get Invisalign before the porcelain veneers would do what I’d need. Why can’t the porcelain veneers do that?

Caroline,

Invisalign aligner

You are correct that porcelain veneers can make teeth look straight. The exception would be for teeth that have a highly complicated orthodontic case. It does not sound like you do. The fact that your dentist is deflecting away from that signals to me that he is not comfortable doing the more advanced parts of this procedure. You can still have porcelain veneers, but I would reconsider having this particular dentist do it for you.

Cosmetic dentistry is not actually a recognized specialty and it is up to the dentist how much training they get. My guess is your dentist can only do the basics and that might not produce the results you were hoping for. To make matters worse, smile makeovers are not taught in dental school. You’ll need to look for a dentist who has invested in post-doctoral training.

However, based on what you are wanting to do with your smile, I may be able to save you quite a bit of money. It sounded like you just wanted to whiten the teeth and make those front teeth straight. If that is the case, porcelain veneers may be more than you need. It is for those who wabt a complete smile makeover, which would include the shape and size of their teeth. It’s like a celebrity smile makeover.

For what you need, you can simply get Invisalign. These use clear aligners to straighten your teeth without anyone knowing you are wearing orthodontics. They are invisible, even at a conversational distance. the aligners can also double as teeth whitening trays. This allows you to straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time. Giving you the two outcomes you wanted at a fraction of the cost.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. John Theriot.