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I wanted to get porcelain veneers on my upper teeth. I have been embarrassed about their color for a while. I thought about teeth whitening, but I also have this one tooth that is a little crooked, so I decided I might as well go whole hog and get a smile makeover, hence the porcelain veneers. I was very disappointed when my dentist said I would need Invisalign first and then get the porcelain veneers. I am not thrilled about having to add a year onto getting the smile I wanted. Should I just stick with whitening them and being content? Are both really necessary?
Penny
Dear Penny,
Bear in mind that I have not examined you. Because of that I can only give you some general advice. If there were a bunch of overcrowding in your teeth or some other major orthodontic work necessary, then it would make sense to get your teeth straightened first. However, based on what you said, you only have one tooth that is a little crooked. This makes me question your dentist’s skills in cosmetic dentistry.
Typically, you would either get porcelain veneers OR Invisalign, not both. Porcelain veneers, under the hand of a skilled cosmetic dentist with post-doctoral training can make teeth look straight.
You have a couple of choices here. First, you could go with just the porcelain veneers. You would need a different dentist to do the work. You never want to pressure a dentist to do something outside of their comfort zone. The results will not be what you want. Instead, find a dentist with the training and skill you need to do the procedure. Most people have a smile eight to ten teeth wide. I don’t know how many porcelain veneers you were planning to get, but it is always important to start with bleaching your teeth. This way whatever teeth don’t have veneers can look like they belong with the smile. Most patients do not get veneers on their bottom teeth, unless there are serious abnormalities, because of the cost. Whitening helps the two arches of your teeth to blend together.
Your second option is to get Invisalign and allow the clear aligners to double as teeth whitening trays. This way you can straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time for a fraction of the cost. Some patients call Invisalign invisible braces because no one will know that you are having your teeth worked on, even at a conversational distance. Another benefit is you won’t have to find an expert cosmetic dentist. Almost any dentist can do invisalign and teeth whitening.
This blog is brought to you by an affordable dentist in Baton Rouge, Dr. John Theriot.