I am confused about something. I have planned on getting porcelain veneers to get a beautiful smile. My teeth are okay, but they are showing how old I am. The color is way darker than I want. I also have one tooth that is a little crooked. Nothing serious, but if I want a pretty smile than the teeth need to be straight. Here is the thing. I thought that porcelain veneers could do both, but my dentist said he wants me to have Invisalign before getting the veneers. Is that really necessary. It seems like an added and unnecessary expense. Am I overlooking something?
Bella
Dear Bella,
I can understand your confusion and I agree with you. Generally, unless there is a very complicated orthodontic case, porcelain veneers can cover both. An experienced and artistic cosmetic dentist could make the teeth look perfectly safe. It may be that your dentist can only do the most basic things when it comes to porcelain veneers and doesn’t feel comfortable with reshaping your teeth. To me, this is an indication you need to find a different dentist to do your porcelain veneers. Smile makeovers are not something taught in dental school. A dentist has to invest in a great deal of post-doctoral training in order to do it well. There are too many cosmetic dentistry horror stories for you to not be certain about your dentist’s skill in creating smiles.
The best cosmetic dentists are accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (aacd.com). AACD accredited dentist have to pass stringent exams as well as an examination board that critiques a large amount of actual cases they’ve done. If I were getting a smile makeover with porcelain veneers, then I would want an accredited dentist.
However, listening to the particulars of your case, if all you want to do is make them whiter and straighten out that one crooked tooth, you could save yourself a lot of money by getting Invisalign instead of veneers. The Invisalign trays can double as teeth whitening trays which will allow you to straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time. It is significantly less expensive than the veneers.
If there were other issues with your smile than just the color, such as their length or shape, then porcelain veneers will be the best way to go. In fact, they are the only procedure versatile enough to change anything you want about your smile.
This blog is brought to you by Des Moines, Iowa Dentist Dr. Phelan Thomas.