Can’t porcelain veneers help slightly crooked teeth?

I have front teeth that are slightly crooked and pretty discolored ( mostly from a pretty serious coffee habit).  I was hoping to get porcelain veneers, but my dentist doesn’t think it’s a good idea.  He said I would be better off straightening my teeth and then whitening them.  However, I have some composite fillings on the front of my teeth. I’m pretty sure they would not actually whiten. That would mean I ‘d need to get them re-done too.  Is there a particular reason I can’t just get porcelain veneers? My dentist hasn’t given anything specific, just that he doesn’t think it is a good idea.

Martha J. – New Hampshire

Martha,

I haven’t examined you, so I can’t be 100%, but I suspect your dentist simply isn’t comfortable placing porcelain veneers.  You wouldn’t want him to place them if that is the case–believe me.  It takes a great deal of training to be able to place them.  In order to make them beautiful, they also need an artistic eye.

Porcelain veneers are great for dealing with slightly crooked, discolored teeth. They can do more than that though. they can completely change the shape of your teeth, if you’d like any type of change like that.

The key will be to find a dentist qualified to do it.  I’d go to the mynewsmile.com website and see who they recommend for your area.  They only recommend the dentists with the highest skill. A dentist can’t just pay to be recommended by them. They have to show their technical ability as well as their artistry.

If you decide not to the the porcelain veneers, that’s fine too. You can do invisalign, then whiten them.  But, you’re right, your composite veneers will need to be re-done.  Make sure you do the whitening first.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville Cosmetic Dentist Dr. David Newkirk.