A cosmetic dentistry smile makeover simulation illustrating the use of porcelain veneers (dental laminates).

Dental History: This person's chief cosmetic concern is the gap that lies between his two upper left teeth. (Dentists use the term "diastema" to refer to this type of space.) His other concern is that his center two teeth each have a different length.

Cosmetic Dentistry Treatment Plan: It seems likely that porcelain veneers would be a good choice for making the cosmetic changes we've shown in our "after" picture. We would like to bring two points to your attention, however, so to give you an idea of what a dentist deals with when making a decision about what cosmetic results can be (or should be) achieved.
     We've illustrated closing the diastema by way of placing slightly oversized porcelain veneers on the two teeth that lie on either side of the space. You may notice however that our "after" picture still shows a hint of space between these two teeth up by the gum line.
     When a dentist places a porcelain veneer on a tooth they have a great deal of control over the final shape of those aspects of the tooth that lie at and above the gum line. However, the shape of the tooth where it emerges out of the gum line cannot be significantly altered. Our "after" picture suggests how porcelain veneers might be shaped so to provide an improved cosmetic appearance, yet not be so over contoured as to impede with the removal of dental plaque (during brushing and flossing) from the teeth on which they are placed.
     There is another consideration here related to the placement of wide porcelain veneers in order to close the diastema. Since the teeth on this person's left side will be wider than they were, will this person's smile look asymmetric or abnormal? Most of the people we interact with will not pick up on small discrepancies but the patient and dentist both need to consider this possibility before treatment is begun.