One of the ways a dentist can fill in the space between two teeth (a diastema) is by placing porcelain veneers.

This page features two digital smile makeovers showing how this might be accomplished.

Case #1: Closing in a small space between teeth using porcelain veneers.

Dental history and concerns:

1) This person's center four upper teeth are her primary cosmetic concern.

Most of this smile's problems lie with its center 4 upper teeth.

View makeover's animation.

From a distance, this smile probably looks pretty good. But up close it's easy to see how it could be improved.

Treatment solutions:

After dental veneer placement.

View makeover's animation.

2) Another approach. - As an alternate plan, the same type of result could probably be accomplished by placing bonding. Dentists have been filling in tooth gaps with dental bonding for decades.

Bonding is a much less involved process than placing porcelain veneers. It's also cheaper. The drawback is that this type of fix is not usually as lasting.

The bonding would need to be placed on the sides of the teeth that frame the gap. Their biting edges could then be straightened by trimming across them with a drill (instead of placing bonding there).

Dental bonding that's placed right on the biting edge of a tooth can often be difficult to keep in place. Trimming the tooth back usually offers a more predictable solution.

3) The changes we've illustrated for the other two teeth (the lateral incisors) could probably also be made by placing porcelain veneers. If not, then dental crowns would need to be used.

The treating dentist would make this decision based on how much these teeth need to be trimmed back so the crown or veneer placed on them is able to give the proper look (in terms of alignment). ( What is the difference between porcelain veneers and dental crowns? )

Case #2: Closing a tooth gap and evening out a smile by placing porcelain veneers.

Before porcelain veneer placement.

View makeover's animation.

Dental history and concerns:

C) His lower front teeth are especially crooked.

Treatment solutions:

1) Using veneers. - We've simulated the placement of dental veneers on this person's six upper front teeth.

After veneer placement on the upper teeth.

View makeover's animation.

2) Treating the lower teeth. - As for the lower teeth, it's the importance of their color that will determine which treatment approach should be taken.

If it's not an important factor, or if it can be corrected using teeth whitening treatments, then using dental braces to realign these teeth would be an option.

(This could be a good choice. And, in fact, if the color of the upper teeth isn't a factor either, this whole case, upper and lower, might be best treated orthodontically.)

If the color of the lower teeth can't be satisfactorily corrected using whitening treatments, then dental crowns or dental veneers would have to be placed. (It's possible that some minor tooth realignment might be needed before this could even be done. The treating dentist would have to decide.)

---

Smile makeover cases illustrating how veneers can be used to close tooth gaps.

Hiding the fact that lateral incisors are missing by placing porcelain veneers.

This digital smile makeover involves a case where the person is missing their...

Click image.

 View Results 

a) Tooth gaps - This person has spaces between their front teeth, in part because they're missing their lateral incisors. b) Porcelain veneers - We've illustrated how veneer placement could be used to both close the spaces and help to mask the fact that teeth are missing.

View this makeover

 View similar makeover cases. 

Menu ▶  Additional Digital Makeover Cases

• Closing spaces between teeth:
  
  • Closing tooth gaps using porcelain veneers.
  • Closing tooth gaps using dental crowns.
  • Applications for tooth bonding.
• Other cosmetic issues:
  
  • Whitening teeth with deep stains.
  • Gum tissue concerns with crown and veneer placement.
• Orthodontic cases:
  
  • Straightening teeth - Braces vs. Crowns.
  • Straightening teeth - Braces vs. Veneers.
• Repairing damaged teeth:
  
  • Repairing teeth worn from tooth grinding.
  • Repairing tooth wear due to a deep overbite.
• Other ways to find cases:
  
  • All digital makeovers by category.
  • All digital makeovers by title.
• Cosmetic Dentistry: Home