Do Dental Veneers Look Fake? Dentist Answers, Tips
Porcelain Veneers: Q&A
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Do Dental Veneers Look Fake?

Looking for the opposite: a smile that people think is real!

21 Doctor Answers | Asked by anon
+5

YES! They can look fake. Choose wisely

Typically you only "see" the bad veneer cases. It's always one of my goals to ensure that people think someone was born with perfect teeth.....not store bought :) Porcelain veneers are an art....from the dentist side AND the dental ceramists side. Both need to be experts in what they do in order to "mimic" nature. I hope this helps.
+4

Veneers certainly CAN look fake

A successful veneer case is the result of great teamwork between a dentist and his lab technician. The dentist must design the case for long term success and the ceramist must create custom works of art to give a beautiful and natural look. There are many steps and time involved. Experience and training are key. Cosmetics is not taught in dental school, so it is important to find a dentist that has extra training and certification showing his education. After that, photographs of the... more
+4

Strong porcelain veneers lead to a natural look

We had a new patient in for a visit just the other day and she had some very interesting questions about veneers that I am sure are on the minds of almost everyone who wants porcelain veneers The first question she asked is, “Will my veneers look natural?” This is a very good question. She was concerned that she sees so many people with porcelain veneers that are thick and unnatural looking. She wanted to make sure that her veneers would not look too thick. I reassured her... more

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+2

Properly done Veneers should look very natural

Veneers are very technique sensitive and require a great deal of skill on the part of the dental professional and the lab technician. However, proper color selection, proper tooth contour, veneer thickness, porcelain quality and translucency can yield to very natural looking teeth. Making beautiful porcelain veneers and having them look natural is truly an art form that requires planning, diagnostic workup, before and after photos and careful understanding of the patient’s... more
+2

It's all in the lab technician

Our lab technicians LOVE it when they have a patient who wants natural looking teeth.  It really let's their talents shine.  It is more difficult to duplicate natural nuances, but totally attainable.
+1

Natural Veneers

Porcelain veneers can be made to mimic natural teeth. The result is dependent on the skill of the technician. Natural looking veneers tend to cost more because the laboratory fee is higher. Ask to see before and after photos of cases similar to your before deciding. Poorly made veneers give people the "fake" look.
+1

Good veneers look like really healthy natural teeth.

Veneers provided by a qualified and experienced dentist will look natural and healthy. It is possible that done incorrectly they look fake. We have all seen those. Take a look at the picture in the link. The upper 6 are veneers, and the rest are natural.
+1

Do veneers look fake?

If you can notice a person having veneers it is usually compromised esthetically. Veneers if well done , should look very natural that even a dentist should have to look at them in a dental chair to be able to notice them as veneers. Although there are many factors involved, These are three major reasons why veneers can look fake. 1)The quality of the porcelain is low 2) The lab technicians are not experts and good at what they do 3) If the dentist did not ... more
+1

Dental Veneers Should Look Completely Natural

Porcelain veneers are a great choice to enhance your smile and should look completely natural when performed correctly. It is important for your dentist to work exclusively with a laboratory that specializes in smile makeovers. These labs are able to create amazingly natural looking veneers with anatomy, shape, and color characteristics that make them undetectable to anyone that sees them. Find an experienced cosmetic dentist to perform this procedure and always ask to see their... more
+1

Veneers should appear natural

Natural appearing veneers are the goal. A great case is when your friends and coworkers can't see your veneers aren't natural teeth. Even if you, the patient, selects a whiter (bleach) shade for your veneers - the final result should look completely natural. You need to select a great dentist/lab technician team for your case. Not all dentists are trained in natural esthetics. The dentists here on RealSelf should all be great choices for natural appearing... more
+1

Natural looking veneers

As a cosmetic Dentist when doing veneers It's important to work together with the dental Lab to create and enhance a patients smile without making it look fake. I take impressions & send it to the lab so the lab can make study models to review with patients and discuss what changes the patient  wants to make weather is shade or shape of teeth communication is very important between patient & dentist.  Also your dentist can show you photos of his work. You want... more
+1

Porcelain veneers, natural smiles, fake veneers

The answer to your question is yes and no.  It all depends on the skill of your dentist and how he works with his or her ceramist and the skill of the ceramist as well.  In the hand of a skilled dentist and ceramist, veneers can look very natural and white at the same time.  Cosmetic Dentistry is truly an art and science.   If you are concerned about the final result, please ask your cosmetic dentist to show you close up photos of his/her work of similar cases.... more
+1

Well done veneers appear natural

Well done veneers should look like natural teeth.  If they appear too white, chalky, opaque, grey, bulky (insert any unattractive adjective here), it means either the teeth weren't prepared properly and/or the lab technician had a challenge with the case.  Porcelain veneers today appear like natural teeth in all lights and should enhance the patient so that others will never know that you "had your teeth done."  I've had my veneers for over 10 years now... more
+1

Do Veneers look fake?

There is no need for veneers to look fake. The answer is YOURS shouldn't. I see a lot of people to fix their problems with other cosmetic dentistry. In reality, too many veneers DO look fake. Before starting a project like new porcelain veneers, you will want to see before and after photos of similar cases to yours. Look at the results for yourself, do YOU like it? Take a friend with you, Let them listen to the dentist and the staff-make sure the chemistry and the proposed... more
+1

Veneers should be undetectable

One of my favorite stories came from a patient who is an attorney.  She said she and one of her partners were working across the desk from each other and he kept staring at her.  When she finally asked why, he said, "I've never noticed how beautiful your smile is."  He assumed they were as they had always been and couldn't beleive he hadn't noticed before.  She had to explain to him that she had had them done.  THAT is what you weant from... more
+1

The best veneers are undetectable.

My goal as a cosmetic dentist is to create natural, healthy smiles.  The best veneers are undetectable. They look natural, and are beautifully proportioned to your face and the rest of your simile.  The color needs to be realistic, with a certain amount of translucency to replicate your enamel.  Find a dentist who will meet your expectations.
+1

The goal is to mimic nature!

There are many people walking around with unnatural veneers. You are wise to ask this question. With proper training and a desire to acheive each patient's individual goals, a cosmetic dentist can replicate nature and fool event the trained eye. 
+1

Good veneers will never look fake

If there not done right they will, but usually only oversized ones with out translucency will look fake. Especially if the color is too white.
+1

You can have whatever you want!

Each cosmetic patient has his or her own needs and wants. I have some patients that want exactly what you want, veneers that look like real teeth. I see an equal number that desire teeth so white and smooth that any lay person could tell that they are not real. As a dentist and an artist I have the most fun delivering veneers that look real and lifelike but above all I strive to give my patients exactly what they want. People are individuals with their own tastes and style....
+1

Veneers can look very natural if created by the right lab and the right dentist

Veneers can look very natural if they mimic what a natural tooth looks like. That means a mixture of shades, proper reflection of light, the right amount of translucency feathered into the edges as well as the flat emergence of the veneer from the gum line. Proper cutback of the tooth by the dentist is essential to allow the ceramist enough room to create a natural looking veneer
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Comments (3)

Bunnyman 26 Mar 2013
I think that most veneers do look fake. Many are too light or too dark, too opaque, too large, all one color and bulky not realistic looking. Photos of veneers are also very deceiving and do not really show how they look in real life.
Bunnyman 15 Mar 2013
I just had 6 upper veneers and stressed to the dentist that I wanted a very natural look. The size, shape and fit are great, but the veneers are very opaque, look unnatural and are all one color. I asked the dentist to blend colors to make the teeth match the others. I am very upset because this is second time I have had them redone.
Paul Newitt 25 Oct 2012
was reading through the responses and they are all right on. Well trained Dentist and well trained Ceramist. The only other thing i would mention, not sure if it has been, is the material selection. There are a number of materials out there for the lab and dentist to choose from. strength and aesthetics will be the criteria for selection. although you would think it would simply be to choose the most natural looking material its a little more complex and is going to be determined patient by patient. That being said. some of the new ceramics have incredible strength and aesthetics. things have been getting bette year after year.

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