Mark Duncan, DDS

There are always options and you are fortunate that both may be good for you.  There are some things that could be done with braces and done well.  In your case, you could accomplish a lot with braces, but it depends on your specific goals.  The advantage to veneers is the additional control in the shape and length and subtle features of your new teeth and smile.  If you are looking at veneers, you want to address all the teeth that show when you smile and since you are wanting to open up your smile, you are probably looking at 10 veneers.  Either way, you can make a nice smile amazing!

For sure have your dentist look at this.  It could be as simple as relieving a contact and allowing teeth to meet better or may be more involved and require treatment of the root.  Either way, the sooner you have it looked into, the sooner you can get it addressed and the less involved the solution will be.

A high contact may break the veneer or tooth and if the tooth is damaged internally, then the infection in the bone is not a good thing to live with.

The number of veneers is usually decided by what you don't like about your smile.  In your photos, it looks like you could do a nice job of fixing the front two teeth and make them look like your others, however, they are slightly wide in proportion.  That doesn't need to be changed, but if that is part of what you don't like, then you could improve it by including a few additional teeth.  Two could look great - and if the proportion also bothers you, then four can address that.  As for your lower teeth, you can re-contour those much like you would when you file your nails.  Some reshaping of the lower front teeth can help them to blend in with the rest of your teeth and smile...

It's hard to say if they have shifted, but what I have seen is that lots of people would prefer to address some things about them to make them look more like naturally beautiful teeth.  


There are several key features to making teeth stunning that don't appear to be addressed.  There is a balance and proportional width from tooth to tooth that isn't quite dialed in, and part of that is that there is a bit more gum tissue in your smile than ideal - as well as somewhat short teeth.  The overall effect is that the teeth are still short and square-ish rather than the more aesthetic proportions we are typically trying to create.

Plus, I think a little more translucency would help to make them more 'alive' and not look like dental work.  You have a pretty smile, but the balance of the teeth and gums and lips detracts from what it could be...  

For sure they can be designed back in place with veneers or porcelain crowns, but the other issue is to figure out why they are like that.  It is most likely going to be a periodontal infection, an airway problem, or tongue habit issue and that should be addressed too.  That way, once they are fixed they stay looking great!