I fell and chipped my two front teeth. It’s kind of embarrassing. I know that sounds vain, but I feel like an 8-year-old girl with the way I look. I asked my dentist how we could fix it. He’s suggesting I get four porcelain veneers. The price he quoted me is pretty high. If that’s my best option, I’ll do it. I was just hoping there was something a wee bit more affordable. Are there other options?
Natalie
Dear Natalie,
I’m sorry about your tumble. That must have hurt. I’m going to give you an alternative treatment, but let’s start with what porcelain veneers are generally used for. People who get porcelain veneers are looking for a total smile makeover. Porcelain veneers are top of the line. They can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth. It is the go-to solution for celebrities.
However, I’m not sure your dentist is very experienced with this type of treatment. I’m wondering if he’s sort of practicing on you without saying that. Two things make me think that.
1. He’s not recommending the typical treatment for repairing chipped teeth. We’ll talk more about that in a minute.
2. He’s suggesting four porcelain veneers. Why not two for just the chipped teeth? It’s possible he’s thinking he can give you a smile makeover while fixing your teeth. If so, why four? Very few smiles are that narrow. Most smiles require between six to eight porcelain veneers. Wider smiles require ten.
The Right Way to Repair Chipped Teeth
Unless the chips are huge, the standard repair for chipped teeth is to have dental bonding done. This uses a composite resin which your dentist will hand sculpt onto your chipped teeth. Done by an artistic and experienced dentist, this blends in perfectly and is much more affordable than porcelain veneers.
You should know going into it that the color the dentist bonds onto your teeth is permanent. If you decide later on to whiten your teeth, only your natural teeth will whiten. You’d have to re-do the bonding to match the newer color. This is why many dentists will let you know that up front so you can whiten your teeth first and match the bonding right away.
If teeth whitening is something you’ve considered. This will save you money in the long run and give you a youthful white smile on top of repairing the chips.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becher.