My teeth are stained and ruined from not taking care of them when I had braces. The teeth are blotchy with some parts really white and some parts brown. I want to get a smile I’m not ashamed of. Is there a way to get porcelain veneers to do that? What are the age requirements?
Elsie
Dear Elsie,
Decalcification from poor oral hygiene while wearing braces. Photo courtesy of Dr. David Luk, Brooklyn, NY.
What you are referring to are decalcification spots. These occur when the patient doesn’t brush adequately around all those metal wires and brackets when they had braces. These days, we have Invisalign as an alternative, which makes oral hygiene much easier during orthodontic treatment. Though that doesn’t help you much now, I wanted to put it out there for other people reading this blog who are considering getting their teeth straightened.
As for making your smile beautiful, yes, porcelain veneers are a wonderful way to do that. An ethical cosmetic dentist will check over the health of your teeth and gums first. You’ll want to make sure there are no cavities, tooth infections, gum disease, etc., first. Otherwise covering the teeth will do more harm than good.
If your teeth and gums are otherwise healthy, there isn’t really an age restriction on adults for porcelain veneers. You want to make sure your teeth are fully developed, which usually happens for people by the time they are 18 years old.
Whatever dentist you go to, make sure they have post doctoral training in porcelain veneers, and that they are willing to try the veneers on with a temporary try in paste and let you look at them before they are bonded on. If you don’t absolutely LOVE them, they should be willing to send them back to make changes. Make sure they’re willing to do this before you even get started on the procedure.
This blog is brought to you by a compassionate dentist in Duluth, GA, Dr. David Marion.