I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. King at my cosmetic consultation at the Atlanta Center for Cosmetic Dentistry. She discussed various options for improving my smile. I had ZOOM! Whitening done in office, and even got custom trays made so that I could keep whitening at home. It was a great experience and I'm very happy with the results.
While it is possible to do one veneer, it is very difficult, especially on a front tooth, to achieve realigning or a perfect match. Typically, we recommend doing at least two veneers. We would recommend visiting an accredited cosmetic dentist for a full evaluation and specific recommendations. Depending on the severity of your cross-bite, you may need to either mechanically move the teeth (braces, Invisalign, retainers), or remove tooth structure from the front tooth (using a veneer) to straighten the tooth.
This is a common concern that we get from many of our patients. Veneers can be successfully used to restore length and lost tooth structure. For maximum aesthetic results, a cosmetic dentist will typically recommend as many teeth as you can see. You could also use a combination of orthodontics and dental bonding to close the gap and restore length, or just orthodontics extrusion to show more of your teeth.
Based on the photos you've posted, it does look like you'll have a few options to choose from based on what fits your budget/goals. Veneers would be a great solution longevity wise, as long as they are well taken care of, they should provide long term results. Bonding would be a more cost-effective option, but over time, bonding can stain, chip and wear. Any time you add to teeth to close a gap, you risk changing the proportions of tooth heigh-to-width ratio to what is less than aesthetically ideal. However, this can be counterbalanced by adding at least two additional veneers or full facial bondings. A third option, which is both cost effective and long-lasting would be to mechanically move the teeth (either braces, retainers, or Invisalign).
Bill, You have a few options that would offer you great results. Either will both solve the alignment of the teeth and discoloration. The first is to move the teeth utilizing Invisalign or Inman aligners - this should be possible in as little as six months. Once you've moved the teeth, you are an ideal candidate for two prep-less veneers. This would allow a cosmetic dentist to place veneers that require removing little or no tooth structure. The second option you have is to skip the orthodontic treatment and opt for two traditional veneers. While this will require removing natural tooth structure, it will allow almost immediate results. The risk associated with doing two veneers with a cosmetic dentist who is not Accredited, or doesn't have the necessary experience is that it is significantly more difficult to match just two natural teeth (the two front teeth) with porcelain. I recommend asking your dentist for examples of before/afters of similar cases he/she has done. This will help you guarantee the best result for your new smile!
Often times, a tooth that has experienced traumatic injury loses its vitality and will discolor. Additionally, the tooth can become ankylosed, making it more difficult to move. However, moving the tooth using Invisalign will most likely not cause any issues with that tooth, and even if the tooth is ankylosed, it shouldn’t prevent you from getting great results with your Invisalign.
