I was under the impression that porcelain veneers could be made into any shape. I didn’t have a pretty smile before, but the new smile with the porcelain veneers looks fake to me. The teeth are boxy and all the same. In reality, the only thing more attractive about them is they’re whiter now. But, even that doesn’t look quite natural to me. My dentist insists they’re much prettier than my natural smile and thinks I have unrealistic goals. Am I being too picky?
Deanna T. – Boston
Deanna,
I’m glad you wrote. No, you’re not being too picky. I don’t care if there was only the tiniest thing wrong with the porcelain veneers. You paid for a smile you’d love and you should get one. I think the bigger problem is your dentist. He or she might be a perfectly fine family dentist and highly skilled at traditional dental work, but cosmetic dentistry is another beast altogether.
Serious cosmetic work, such as porcelain veneers, takes more than technical knowledge. They take an artistic eye. You have no dental training (as far as I know) and realized the teeth didn’t look natural. Why? Because they’re all exactly the same. Our teeth don’t work like that.
Your impression about porcelain veneers is correct. They can form any shape you want. You can mimic another person’s smile or create one of your own desire. The best thing about going to an expert cosmetic dentist is they’ll take into consideration your facial shape and smile width to recommend what would be the most alluring on you.
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