Can you help me figure out what is necessary for my smile makeover? I want to get porcelain veneers. My dentist said that I’ll need to get my teeth whitened first, which seems odd to me because the veneers should change the color, right? The other question I have is he wants me to get Invisalign first as well because I have one front tooth that is a bit crooked. I really just wanted the porcelain veneers. Is that possible?
Cadance
Hi Cadance,
I am glad you wrote. Your dentist’s advice here is about 50/50. His recommendation for teeth whitening before getting your porcelain veneers done is solid. It is actually to save you money. Most people cannot afford to get a porcelain veneer placed on each and every tooth. What you don’t want is part of your smile to look beautiful and white from the porcelain veneers and the others to look dingy and stained. That ends up making your veneers look fake.
So, unless you are planning on getting a porcelain veneer on every tooth, getting teeth whitening done helps the natural teeth to blend in with the veneered teeth, giving you a smooth, natural looking smile makeover.
The Invisalign is completely unnecessary in your case. A skilled cosmetic dentist can make a slightly crooked looking tooth appear straight when he plans your smile makeover. This begs the question “Is your dentist a skilled cosmetic dentist?” If he doesn’t know how to make that took look straight, then I would say he is not.
You will be better served getting your smile makeover done elsewhere by someone who does have the technical skills and artistry to give you a smile you will be proud of. I highly recommend looking at a dentist’s smile gallery to see if they can deliver the type of results you are looking for. If they do not have a smile gallery that is a red flag. Move on.
The other thing to look for is some type of beautiful smile guarantee. This means that your veneers are tried on with a temporary paste and you get to see them up close and in various lightings before approving them. If there’s something you want changed, the dentist should be willing to change that before any permanent bonding is done.
I hope this helps.
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