Porcelain Veneers are a beautiful, strong solution to getting the smile of your dreams, but ONLY if you end up with what you had imagined!
Designing a smile with porcelain veneers is the ultimate cosmetic dental procedure and requires significant planning. You would not get heart surgery from a dermatologist, right?
I have outlined a few essentials for you in this blog post to help make certain you do not end up with a mediocre smile makeover.
You have waited a long time to get the smile you want, so do it right the first time!
Step 1
Know what you want.
What type of smile do YOU find attractive? Do you like white teeth? If you do not know what you like, how is your dentist supposed to know? The worst mistake you can make is to let your dentist decide what looks good without your detailed input.
A true cosmetic dentist makes porcelain veneers that fit you and your desires. How do you do this? I have all my patients go through a large selection of smiles that I have either made or found in magazines. Then I let them look these over for a week and bring back 5 they like and 5 they do not like. This then is used in a discussion on porcelain veneers and smile makeovers in which we find out what you really like, even if you did not know it yourself.
Step 2
Always create a preview model.
What is a preview model? Well, we use all the information from step 1 to create a wax model of your smile. This is our guide and will be transferred to your teeth in acrylic so that you can preview your smile.
This preview smile then allows us to make changes directly to the composite/acrylic until you like what you see. This can take a few days or longer, but it is a critical step. You would not buy clothes until you tried them on and decided if they fit and look good right? So why would you let someone else decide what type of smile would look good on you? Porcelain veneers are permanent and define your smile!
Step 3
Approve the porcelain veneers prior to bonding them on.
I am always shocked to hear how many patients tell me that the dentist did not show them the teeth until they were permanently bonded on. What if you don’t like them? Too late, it is permanent. Always insist on seeing the final product on your teeth and approving it prior to allowing the dentist to cement it. You are the boss, you need to live with these porcelain veneers, not the dentist.
Following these simple steps will help you ensure that you get what you want. There are many more variables, of course, but you have direct control of the above steps.
Here are some more critical things to consider before getting you porcelain veneers:
1. What lab technician (not LAB) will make your porcelain veneers? You need to know that your dentist has a close relationship with the PERSON that makes the teeth, not a factory. Porcelain veneers require an artist and a highly experienced dental technician. The cost of using a master technician over a simple technician can be significant. This is why cheap veneers are not only cheap in price but also look and feel cheap.
2. What material will your dentist use for the porcelain veneers? There are many different types of porcelain that a dentist/technician can use. All have specific pluses and minuses. Choosing the best porcelain veneer for your case requires knowledge and experience from both the dentist and technician. There is no one “best” choice.
3. Experience. Porcelain veneers are the pinnacle of cosmetic dentistry. Your smile is one of the most important parts of “you”. You always put your smile out there, every single day. Everybody sees and judges your smile. Your smile helps define how you feel about yourself…I cannot over emphasize how important a smile really is. So, when it comes down to giving you the smile you desire, why would you not spend the time and money to find the best cosmetic dentist you can? Too many patients “try” their general dentist and end up with a smile they hate. Then they need to redo the smile, essentially doubling the cost of the initial investment. Do it right the first time, or don’t do it at all!
Porcelain Veneers can be incredibly beautiful and change your life in ways you cannot imagine until you actually do it. So when you are ready, do your research and get the smile you want from a top cosmetic dentist!
Smile.
I have a chipped porcelain veneer that has been on my teeth since 1991. Can that be replaced to match the others? If they were all replaced what would the cost be (low to high range)?
Dear Kathy,
You can replace a single veneer, although it is quite challenging. A top lab technician will usually charge 2-3 times the regular cost. We have done this many times but the cost to match a single tooth nearly perfectly is about double the normal fee.
If you love your current veneers (many things have improved since 1991) then this would be a path you could consider. I would have all the other porcelain veneers checked for fractures and decay first.
Redoing veneers, in a good to great dental office, will run you anywhere from 1300 to 2500 each. You can get it for less, and you can pay more, but remember, with porcelain veneers experience matters and you do get what you pay for…
Sincerely,
Dr. Chris
What a wonderful post. The way you have explained about porcelain veneers is so catchy. Good work. Keep on posting.
Thank you 🙂
Hello,
I have 2 veneers and a piece of one of them has come off. I do not have dental insurance but I would like to get this fixed. I’ve had my veneers for about 10 or 11 years. Is there an alternative to having it replaced? I’ve heard about the snap-in smile thing. I’m not sure of the name. I saw it on a commercial. Would that be a better option? Would the fee be similar to that of replacing a veneer? I don’t want my teeth filed again nor do I want any of my other teeth filed down.
Dear Shanta,
A broken veneer can be repaired with composite. This repair may not be quite as strong but is a viable option. A snap on smile is a removable appliance similar to a retainer and completely different to actual teeth – I would highly recommend the repair.
Any good cosmetic dentist will know how to repair a broken porcelain veneer using a special acid 🙂
Keep smiling,
Dr. Chris
Hello i just got veneers and i am almost 100% sure I’m not happy with my front teeth. I got the 6 front of my teeth veneered. Can they take them off and do them over? Just the two front teeth? They are bonded. I feel really bad about this. I thought i liked them. I have a Great Dentist! He showed me the veneers before bonding them. I took some medication to relax and i wasn’t in my right mind. My dentist also showed me the left side of the veneers,which were three teeth,next to the temporary ones on the right. The left side looks SO MUCH BETTER then the right side. He did put all of them in, but i really couldn’t see them clearly. You can’t sit up and look because they will fall off! It’s hard to really SEE. Everyone was saying how Beautiful they were, and as I said, i was loopy.
I didn’t think I liked my temporary veneers and One I had them a little while I liked them more. There where specific things i asked for in the permanent veneers. My dentist agreed with my request. Once i saw the veneers in, and the medicine i took was wearing off, I noticed the things I requested were not done!
Please help me out. What can I do?
Thank you so much.
Peace
Hello Roberta,
This is a common challenge…It does sound like your dentist made a good effort to show you what you were getting. It is hard to sit someone up and look at the porcelain veneers before they are cemented as they do fall off. Ideally you would have approved the temporaries (since they are easier to adjust and get right) and then flip this into porcelain.
Once the veneers are cemented they need to be cut off to redo them. This is quite the process…but, often we are able to make changes to the porcelain by contouring it. This can make a big difference. Obviously we cannot make them longer or other dramatic changes, but rounding edges and changing light reflection is possible.
Talk to you dentist, I am sure he/she is going to work with you to make you happy.
Keep smiling,
Dr. Chris