Dental veneers are a means of tooth restoration with the help of thin overlays that are attached to their surface. Veneers can radically change your smile, but they are not suitable for everyone. The decision to install veneers is made individually, taking into account the condition of the teeth and the dentist’s recommendations.
In which cases is veneer installation recommended, and in which cases should this procedure be avoided? What problems can be corrected before installing veneers, and what alternative do specialists offer to patients for whom this treatment method is not suitable?
Yarema Dental specialists emphasize: the final decision is made only at a professional consultation, because each case is unique.
When veneers are recommended
Veneers are designed primarily to eliminate aesthetic problems of teeth. For example, if you do not like how your front teeth look, but you do not have serious bite disorders or other problems, veneers can be the best solution.
Veneers are recommended in the following situations:
- Aesthetic problems that cannot be eliminated with whitening. This refers to tooth pigmentation and stains on them. Tooth pigmentation is a change in enamel color that is associated with the consumption of certain foods, drinks, smoking or medications, as well as with genetics and age-related changes. If these defects cannot be corrected with the whitening procedure, veneers are recommended. They cover the front surface of the tooth and mask these defects, giving the teeth a uniform natural color;
- Chips and cracks on teeth. In the presence of small cracks and chips, veneers help not only to improve the appearance of the tooth, but also prevent further destruction of the surface or edge of the tooth;
- Small gaps between front teeth (diastemas). If you have gaps between your teeth, veneers can increase the width of the teeth and hide the gap;
- Minor tooth irregularities. When one or two teeth are positioned slightly unevenly, but you do not want to wear braces, veneers can visually align the tooth row, change the shape of the tooth surface at the correct angle;
- Imperfect shape or size of teeth. For example, teeth are too small, conical in shape or differ in length. Overlays allow you to give them the desired shape and make all front teeth proportional.
It is important to understand that this applies only to mild cases. With serious bite disorders or tooth position, orthodontic treatment will be needed first, since veneers only mask the defect, but do not correct it.
When not to install veneers
Usually contraindications are associated either with the state of the dental system, or with bad habits.
Let’s consider the main cases in which it is better to refuse veneers:
- Serious bite problems. Veneers are not designed to correct significant orthodontic problems. If the patient has a deep, cross, open or mesial bite, incorrect jaw closure can create excessive pressure on the teeth. If you put veneers on such teeth, they may chip or crack, so you first need to correct the bite with orthodontic methods, that is, with the help of braces and aligners.
- Very uneven or incorrectly positioned teeth: when teeth are strongly tilted, overlap each other, or there are supernumerary teeth in the mouth. Gluing veneers on such teeth will not give the desired result, because the tooth shape will remain abnormal, and unnecessary teeth will remain in place. The right way is to first diagnose the oral cavity and correct the defects.
- Thin or damaged tooth enamel. For reliable attachment of veneers, a sufficient area of healthy enamel is needed, to which the overlay will stick. Some people due to genetics have a thin layer of tooth enamel or have lost it due to erosion. In such cases, teeth become more sensitive. Before installing veneers, usually a thin layer of enamel is removed from the teeth. In patients with thin and damaged enamel, this process can be painful and there is a risk of damaging the dentin. The glue with which veneers are attached will hold worse on thin enamel. Sometimes the solution may be preliminary treatment (for example, enamel remineralization) or the use of ultra-thin veneers with minimal tooth preparation, but this is decided individually. A similar situation develops in the case when the patient’s enamel is heavily damaged, the front surface of the tooth is covered with numerous fillings or has deep cracks. When installing veneers, glue can get into the cavities, and if the filling occupies more than two-thirds of the tooth surface, especially in the veneer fixation zone – installing it is risky. After all, the veneer must be attached to a natural tooth. In such cases, the alternative may be crowns that completely cover the tooth, or direct composite restoration.
- Untreated caries or gum disease. The health of teeth and gums is a mandatory condition before any restoration, and veneers are no exception. If the patient has caries, it will continue to develop under the veneer, the infection will progress, which will eventually lead to tooth loss. With gum inflammation or bleeding, veneers are also not placed. Firstly, impressions or digital scanning will be inaccurate due to gum swelling, and secondly, with periodontitis, teeth may be mobile, fixing veneers on them is risky. Veneers do not treat tooth diseases – they are installed only on healthy teeth. Yarema Dental dentists necessarily conduct a full diagnosis: if problems are detected, they will first offer treatment, and only then – the manufacture and installation of veneers.
- Habit of grinding teeth (bruxism). Bruxism is involuntary clenching and grinding of teeth, usually during sleep. With bruxism, there is strong pressure on the teeth. Even strong zirconia veneers can crack or chip due to constant loads. Chronic teeth grinding can also lead to veneer detachment. The adhesive withstands chewing loads, but bruxism is an extreme mode, not suitable for veneers.
However, this does not mean that with bruxism it is impossible to install veneers at all. You just need to first eliminate, or at least reduce the negative manifestations of this habit. The patient may be recommended to wear a special night cap to protect teeth during sleep.
Relative contraindications for veneer installation
In addition to absolute contraindications, there are relative ones, that is, those that do not exclude the procedure, but require preliminary intervention and problem elimination.
Relative contraindications include:
- Orthodontic problems after treatment. After correcting the bite or aligning teeth with braces or aligners, many patients are satisfied with their smile. However, if it is, in your opinion, not yet sufficiently ideal, veneers can be installed on aligned teeth.
Initial stages of gum disease or caries. Patients with gingivitis, which can be cured by professional cleaning and improving oral hygiene at home, or caries in the initial stage, after treatment can have veneers installed. - Bruxism after treatment. If the patient is aware of the problem of teeth grinding and is ready to follow recommendations (use a cap, reduce stress levels, undergo treatment with a neurologist or gnathologist), then after stabilization of the condition, veneer installation can be planned.
- Unsatisfactory oral hygiene. Low level of hygiene in itself is not a direct contraindication, but worsens the prognosis of veneer service. The dentist may recommend learning to brush teeth properly, cure all inflammatory processes and only then install veneers so that they serve for a long time.
What to do if veneers are not suitable
If for one reason or another you cannot have veneers installed, there are alternative ways to improve the appearance of teeth.
Depending on the problem, the dentist may advise:
- Orthodontic treatment: braces or aligners will help if teeth are uneven, or there are large gaps between them. Correcting the bite will solve both the aesthetic and functional problem. After alignment, the smile will become much more attractive and, perhaps, the need for veneers will disappear altogether.
- Professional teeth whitening: when only tooth color is of concern (yellowness, darkening), professional whitening may help. It can lighten enamel by several tones and eliminate most stains. This is less invasive and cheaper than veneers, although it may not give maximum effect with very strong pigmentation.
- Direct composite restoration: the dentist applies photopolymer material to the tooth, changing its shape and color. This is suitable for small chips, gaps, irregularities. Such restoration is more budget-friendly and is done in one visit. However, it has a number of disadvantages, the main ones being: short service life and color instability.
- Crown: if the tooth is heavily damaged (large filling, crack, root canal treatment was done), the optimal option may be a crown. This is such a cap that covers the entire tooth completely, restoring not only the frontal surface, but also the chewing surface. From an aesthetic point of view, modern ceramic crowns are almost indistinguishable in appearance from veneers from the outside, but they hold more firmly on destroyed teeth and protect them.
Sometimes patients combine approaches – for example, they first undergo orthodontic treatment, and then install veneers or do composite restoration.
Why is a dentist consultation necessary before making a decision about veneers?
Veneers are an effective way to get a dream smile, but they are suitable for far from everyone and not always immediately. It is important to assess the condition of teeth, bite, habits and patient expectations. What suits one may be contraindicated for another. That is why a dentist consultation is needed.
Make an appointment
Remember that each case is individual. You should not be guided only by someone else’s experience or advertising promises. Contact a qualified dentist to weigh all the “pros” and “cons”.
If you dream of a beautiful smile – sign up for a consultation at Yarema Dental.