In the past, we’ve talked about porcelain veneers as an alternative to orthodontics. But you don’t have to choose one or the other. The truth is that porcelain veneers and orthodontics can be complementary procedures that can be used together to get you the best possible results in your smile makeover.
Planning a Comprehensive Treatment
There are many reasons why we might plan to use both orthodontics and porcelain veneers in your smile makeover. Most of the time, it’s because you are unhappy with the size, shape, and color of your teeth as well as the orientation of your teeth.
One situation is that placing veneers right away would require the removal of too much tooth material and might not result in a long-lasting result. In this case, we might use orthodontics to move your teeth close to their desired position, then use porcelain veneers to finish aligning your teeth and giving them the appearance you desire.
Another situation is that you may have just a couple teeth you are unhappy with the size and shape of, such as peg laterals, but you have many teeth that are crowded. We can use orthodontics to make room for restorations on the peg laterals or other teeth you wish to change, then place the porcelain veneers or dental crowns as needed.
Or, you may need to move some of larger teeth in the back of your mouth, but want to make cosmetic changes to the ones in the front as well.
When Orthodontics Doesn’t Give the Results You Desire
Another situation in which porcelain veneers can be used to complement orthodontics is when you are unhappy with the results of orthodontics.
Maybe you thought that straightening your teeth would be enough, but once it was done, it turned out you were unhappy with the results. Perhaps moving your teeth revealed that while crooked they had been worn unevenly. Or perhaps they were badly stained.
Sometimes, too, orthodontics just doesn’t do what it promises. Your teeth may not be as straight as you wanted, or they may still have gaps. In this case, porcelain veneers can be used to finish the results.
And, of course, there’s the problem of retention. Orthodontics results aren’t always permanent, especially if you don’t wear your retainer. If you are unhappy with teeth that have drifted back after orthodontics and don’t want new orthodontics to fix them, porcelain veneers are a good alternative.
The truth is that modern cosmetic dentistry allows us to fix almost any smile problem that may be bothering you. During your consultation, we will discuss your options and help you find the perfect solution to give you the smile you’ve always dreamed of. Please call for an appointment with a Hilton Head cosmetic dentist at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry today.
