Can protruding front teeth be fixed with veneers?

Doctor's Answers 2

Hi Anne-Marie Peters,

Veneers are ultra-thin shells of material,which may be made of ceramic (porcelain) or a composite resin, that are bonded to the front of teeth. This procedure requires little or no anesthesia and may be an ideal choice for improving the appearance of the front teeth.

However, not every one is suitable for these procedures. In general, veneers are best suited when the tooth are relatively well arranged so that minimal amount of tooth structure needs to be trimmed/ prepared.

You mentioned that your two front teeth are sticking out and there is a sizeable gap between them.

There are a few concerns :

1. In order to close the sizeable gap between your two front teeth, there is a possibility of the veneers appearing very big and not proportionate.

2. Since your front two teeth are sticking out, there is a high chance it would involve at least several veneers, possibly 4-10 veneers to ensure a nice and symmetrical look.

3. Ultimately , we would also need to look at your side profile to ascertain what is a pleasing look to you. Whether the protrusion is due to just the two front teeth, or do you have a slightly more protrusive look that you would like to address.

Considering that you are only 20, It would be good to let your dentist have a proper evaluation to recommend the most conservative and effective way to give you the best smile that you desire!

Whether Veneers or Orthodontic procedures are the solution for you depends on many factors.

Are you concerned with the gap between the teeth only or also the protrusion of the teeth? If you have protruded teeth, it may be more appropriate for the teeth position to be corrected with orthodontics. And by correcting the protrusion, chances are that the gap will close naturally.

Whether you can close the gap between the teeth - without correcting the position -- will depend on the size of the gap relative to the width of your teeth. If the gap is large, then closing the gap with Veneers, or by Bonding, may make your teeth look exceptionally large.

Orthodontic treatment may take longer but the procedure is conservative i.e. there is no cutting of tooth structure. Veneers to correct protrusion of teeth may be quite invasive.

You do need to have a clinical examination where the cause of the gap and the relative positions of your teeth can be assessed before your dentist can walk you through the treatment options, the expected results, the pros and cons, and of course the costs involved.

Ultimately, the treatment you choose will depend on your desired objectives.

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