I have badly stained teeth, a gap between the two front ones, and two chipped teeth. I’m dying to get a pretty smile, but don’t think I can afford porcelain veneers. I recently read about press-on veneers. They’re a lot less expensive, but still a pretty penny. The cost is around $1000. I could do it, but it’s a lot of money to waste if these aren’t a good option. What’s your opinion of them?
Vanessa
Dear Vanya,
It’s great that you’re looking for solutions for your smile makeover within your budget. Because of that, I don’t want you to waste your money on something which will do nothing but disappoint you.
When you get true porcelain veneers, you have a consultation with a cosmetic dentist to discuss the smile makeover you want. You discuss, color, shape, the look you are going for, etc. Then, your teeth are prepared for the veneers. The dentist sends detailed instructions to a lab which forms the restorations. When that’s completed, they’re bonded onto your teeth permanently.
Press-on veneers are completely different. These don’t have as much design involved, there’s no tooth preparation, and they’re not bonded on. Instead, they fit over your teeth and are removable.
There will be added bulk and length. Even the company itself is pretty transparent about this. The teeth will look fake at a conversational distance and you likely won’t be comfortable eating in them.
Alternatives to Porcelain Veneer
Given the concerns you mentioned which bother you about your smile, I’m going to suggest something much more affordable. First, whiten your teeth. You do this with an in-office system such as Zoom Whitening. This will whiten your teeth their fullest in one appointment. Or, if you want more control over the level of whitening, do an at-home teeth whitening using trays custom fitted to your teeth by your dentist.
Once the whitening is completed, both your tooth gap and the chipped teeth can be repaired by dental bonding. This uses a composite resin your dentist will sculpt onto your teeth. It will blend seamlessly.
Both of these procedure combined are significantly more affordable than a set of porcelain veneers. You can have a smile you’re proud of without having to compromise quality or going into debt.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.