Porcelain Veneers with an Overbite

I have a double whammy against my smile. First, there is my overbite. Then I have horrible tetracycline stains. I went to my dentist in order to get porcelain veneers. He said my overbite means I’m not a candidate for dental implants. I was disappointed to hear that. He wants to do six porcelain crowns instead. If he does, should I whiten my bottom teeth? I don’t think crowns will work on them.

Laura

Dear Laura,

I don’t want you to get porcelain crowns on either your top or bottom teeth. Your solution was the best one. I’m a little amused at your dentist’s suggestion your bite will prohibit you from getting porcelain veneers. My guess is your dentist isn’t comfortable doing porcelain veneers because he doesn’t have the training. Rather than tell you that and get embarrassed, he made up some weak excuse about your overbite.

The funny thing about that is porcelain veneers actually make more sense than porcelain crowns because, with the veneers, nothing needs to be placed on the back of your teeth. I’m going to suggest you go with your plan of porcelain veneers. However, I don’t want you to use your family dentist. He’s obviously not a cosmetic dentist.

Given your tetracycline stains, you are going to need an expert cosmetic dentist. This is one of the toughest type of cosmetic cases to do well. Don’t be surprised if the dentist tells you to get eight or ten veneers. I’m not sure why your dentist suggested six crowns. Most people’s smiles are much wider than that. What you’ll do is whiten your teeth first. Then your dentist will place an appropriate number of veneers on your teeth.

Finding an Expert Cosmetic Dentist

It is difficult for patients to know how to find a skilled and artistic cosmetic dentist. This is because there isn’t really a recognized cosmetic dentistry specialty. Because of that, any general dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist regardless of the amount of training they’ve invested in learning how to do smile makeovers.

Fortunately, there is a website which has taken the guesswork out of everything for patients. If you go to mynewsmile.com you can do a search for advanced cosmetic dentists in your area. The dentist can not simply pay to be listed. They are evaluated for both their technical training and their artistry. They can give you a stunning smile.

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