Giving a smile a more regular appearance by placing porcelain veneers.

This 41-year-old could benefit from orthodontic treatment but at this stage in his life he has decided that braces are not an option that he will consider.

If that's the case then dental restorations, like a set of porcelain veneers, could be used to create the same general look. However, this approach does have some drawbacks.

Case history and concerns:

Here's what we notice when we look at this "before" picture.

The teeth themselves give the impression of being reasonable enough. There are no obvious signs that extensive dental restorations have previously been placed.

The biting edges of the teeth show some irregularities but nothing terribly significant.

Possibly this smile would look better if the teeth were slightly (but not drastically) whiter.

(Actually, this is one of our favorite makeovers. We wish more people would send in pictures where the image is actually a smile rather than a grimace.)

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This smile has been evened out by placing porcelain veneers.

Photo submitted by website visitor.

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Treatment solutions:

1) One last argument for an orthodontic approach.

With this kind of "before" situation, if some type of orthodontic treatment is used as the solution, then after realigning the teeth quite possibly only minimal further treatment would be required. That would be a big plus for this approach.

It would include wearing an orthodontic retainer from time to time. And possibly tooth-whitening treatments and straightening the biting edges of some of the teeth just a little (by trimming and buffing using a dental drill)

In comparison, when restorations like porcelain veneers are used to give the illusion of straighter teeth, you have to anticipate that at some time in the future they will need to be replaced.

That's a topic that should be given some consideration before choosing this option.

2) Opting for veneers.

The same general look could be achieved by way of placing a set of porcelain veneers. That's the approach we've simulated in our "after" picture.

As you can see, their placement could be used to both idealize the shape and alignment of the teeth.

Some teeth might require dental crowns.

We should state that we've made some relatively major shape changes with the eyeteeth in our "after" picture.

It might be that the changes we've show are too extensive to make with veneers. If so, dental crowns would need to be placed.

(Only the dentist treating this case could make this determination. Either way, the end look would be the same.)

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 tetracycline 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.
Cosmetic Dentistry: Home

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