10 Dental Problems Veneers Can Fix: A Complete Guide for Smile Enhancement

We all have that one thing about our smile we wish we could change. Maybe it’s a small gap that has bothered you since high school, a persistent coffee stain that no whitening strip can touch, or a chipped edge from a childhood sports injury.

For years, the only solutions seemed to be lengthy orthodontic treatments or aggressive crowns. But modern cosmetic dentistry has a more elegant solution: Cosmetic dental veneers.

You can see your venners as the “Photoshop” of dentistry, except the results are permanent and real. These wafer-thin shells of porcelain are custom-crafted to bond to the front of your teeth, instantly correcting a multitude of imperfections. If you are considering Smile enhancement with veneers, here are the 10 specific dental problems they can fix.

1. Deep, Intrinsic Stains

Whitening your teeth can give you great results if you have enamel-colored stains from things like coffee, tea and red wine.

• The Problem: Unfortunately, some stains are more stubborn and will not respond to whitening. These include stains from tetracycline, excessive fluoride and old root canal treatments. These are often a grey or dark brown colour and are impossible to remove even with the best bleaching techniques.
• The solution? Use veneers. With a veneer, we can select a shade of opaque porcelain that will completely cover the dark stain, leaving you with a bright white appearance that cannot be damaged by food or drinks.

2. Chipped or Broken Teeth

We’re human, and life is unpredictable. Whether it was due to falling down, getting into an accident, or simply biting down on a piece of popcorn too roughly, there is a possibility that you could end up with an irregularly-shaped tooth! 

• The problem: A chip in your tooth can change the overall appearance of your smile; it can make your teeth look old and uncared for. While bonding (using a white composite filling material) is one solution for fixing this problem, unfortunately, it tends to become stained or chipped off again within a short period of time.
• What about veneers? Veneers are thin pieces of porcelain that restore the original shape of a tooth. They are much stronger than bonding materials; therefore, they serve as long-term solutions providing teeth with the same appearance of being brand new!

3. Gaps Between Teeth (Diastema)

Having one or more gaps between your front two teeth is not uncommon, but many people do not appreciate the celebrity guise known as “the Madonna look.” 

• The Problem  – The gap between your front teeth is that they are more prone to breakage, and you can feel self-conscious about not being able to show off your smile when it is being shown off to someone else. 
• The solution – Often referred to as “instant orthodontics,” we’ll make your veneers slightly wider than your natural teeth to completely eliminate the gap without having to use braces.

4. Misaligned or Crooked Teeth 

Some patients have a preference for a less invasive fix than having to wear braces for up to eighteen months in order to resolve a few crooked teeth.

• The Issue: Minor twisting and overlapping of a tooth can throw off your entire smile’s symmetry.
• The Solution: We follow an “Align and Restore” approach. Veneers are effective for correcting very minor irregularities only. We do not recommend jumping straight to veneers for significant misalignment, as this requires removing a large amount of healthy tooth structure, an undesirable outcome. Instead, we may suggest briefly aligning the teeth first to preserve your natural enamel before placing veneers.

5. Uneven or Irregularly Shaped Teeth

Some people have teeth that are oddly shaped by nature.

• The problem of “peg laterals” (the small pointy teeth next to the maxillary incisors) or cratered surface teeth (teeth with deep crevices) affects the arrangement of the smile.
• The fix for this smile issue is to use veneers to create a new look for the peg laterals and cratered teeth. With a veneer, we can extend, broaden, and reshape these teeth so they appear to be similar in appearance to other teeth in the mouth, thereby creating an even gum line and an arc to the smile.

6. Worn Down Teeth

Bruxism is teeth grinding at night.

• Over time, bruxism leads to teeth that are shorter, flatter, and blunted. As a result, a person’s smile may become less visible when they speak, making their face appear older.
• Veneers restore the lost length of your teeth, enabling you to have a healthy smile again and giving your lower face more support for your lips and cheeks. When you use veneers, you will also enjoy a more youthful appearance in your lower face..

7. Sensitivity from Enamel Erosion

Acidic foods, aggressive brushing, or acid reflux can wear away enamel.

• Enamel erosion can be caused by acidic foods, aggressive brushing and/or acid reflux. Once the enamel is thin, the yellowed dentin beneath can be seen and it is highly likely the tooth will feel extremely sensitive to hot and cold.
• Veneers replace the enamel; they provide a protective barrier for the dentin and provide relief from pain while giving the tooth back its white color.

8. “Gummy” Smiles (In Combination with Gum Contouring)

Teeth may appear shorter because of excess gum tissue.

• Issue: When you smile you see too much pink compared to the amount of white teeth you see.
• Solution Using Veneers: By using a simple laser procedure to raise the gum line, veneers create a new longer-defined tooth shape while allowing the gum tissue to heal in its new position so that a person has a more balanced “tooth-dominant” smile.

9. Microdontia (Small Teeth)

• Problem: Microdontia refers to adults who maintain teeth that look very similar to baby teeth and appear too small given the individual’s jaw and facial bone structure. The result is often gaps between teeth and can create an adult that has an immature smile.
• Veneer Solution: By placing veneers on this type of patient, we can make their teeth look larger in proportion to the face, creating a full mature smile that attracts attention

10. Aged, Dull Smile

• Problem: As we age our teeth naturally become more yellowish in color and they also begin to wear down. In many cases, people will appear older than they really are due to this issue.
• Veneer Solution: The solution for an older patient with an aged smile is to provide a complete set of veneers (typically top 6, 8, or 10 teeth) to provide a full restoration of brightness, length, and texture like in a younger person’s smile

Is Smile Enhancement with Veneers Right for You?

If you see your own struggle in this list, veneers might be the solution you’ve been waiting for. They are versatile, durable, and capable of fixing multiple issues at once.

Ready to transform your smile? Contact thyme dental today for a consultation to see how cosmetic dental veneers can solve your dental dilemmas!