Do my new veneers look a little big? Can they be shaved down? (Photo)

Question

Veneers recently put in on the upper front 4 teeth. Not sure if they look too large relative to the rest of the mouth. Part of me says yes, and part of me says I'm just not used to having larger teeth in the front. Unfortunately lost a bit of faith in my cosmetic dentist through this process. Thoughts? Is it risky to have my dentist to shave a bit off the bottom?

Sarah Thompson, DMD · Answer

Hello there,I would have to see a few more views of your smile to be certain, but just based off of this picture, your four front veneers appear to be appropriate.  I would recommend giving yourself about 4 weeks before you change anything about them.  It is not uncommon for some patients to take a couple weeks or so, before falling in love with their veneers.  I'll attach a photo to this page of a guy that I treated, who had a huge gap, but after the treatment, he was pretty quiet and hardly said anything when he left.  About 3 months later, we had reached out to him to make sure that he was still taking care of his teeth and he could not stop talking about how much he loved his teeth and how thankful he was.  This just goes to show that when your teeth have looked a certain way for so many years upon years, it is sometimes hard to instantly change the look of your teeth, even if they look a hundred times better.   Good luck and I hope this helps.Sarah Thompson, DMDSt. Louis, MO area (O'Fallon, IL)

Lance Timmerman, DMD, MAGD · Answer

If just evening out the tips of the teeth, it shouldn't be a problem.  If you contour the "flat facial" part of the veneer, that is a bit more complicated.  First, you can lose some of the luster or "sheen" of the veneer.  Even well polished may not get as good as they are right now.  If a LOT is reduced, the surface texture can be lost.  It is very difficult to create great texture (teeth in nature are NOT flat/smooth, they have "ripples" that breaks up the light).  If you lose the texture, then the veneers will look fake.Sometimes dramatic changes are simply hard to get used to.  It is too new.  Normally, if given a little time, you get used to it and end up liking the new look.I stand by MY work, and by the time my veneer cases are bonded in (we have many steps to be sure that the patient is thrilled with the result BEFORE they are permanent) I am confident the patient will be happy.  If they are not, I will replace their smile at no charge.  However, if they change their mind, I require them to wait 6 months.  At that time, they NEVER ask for a redo.  They simply needed time.You may, too.

Steven Davidowitz, DDS · Answer

Some more photos of your face and smile are needed to fully assess the proportions of the teeth.  These include full face smile photos and different close up angles of our bite and smile.  With the one photo you placed, they look pretty good!  I always tell my smile makeover patients to give the new smile time to grow with you and become you.  This typically takes anywhere from 1-6 weeks. Try not to stare at the teeth themselves but rather take in the whole smile with your lips and your face.  This will help avoid a distorted view of the dimensions of the teeth.How do these veneers look compared to the wax up, smile design simulations and or temporary veneers that you had on prior to the final veneer placement.  The size and shape should closely match those dimensions that you "test drove".

Peter Boulden, DMD, FAGD · Answer

The length of your veneers look good.  Possibly they feel big / bulbous because they might be over contoured.  IF you could provide a 45 degree angle picture it'd be easier to tell.

Victoria Veytsman, DDS · Answer

Typically in planning a smile design case we get a mockup or wax up on a model first. That is then used to fabricate temporaries. Adjustments can be made at this phase to make sure you are comfortable with the aesthetics and bite/function. Then the finals are made to replicate these. So there are usually many checkpoints along the way to ensure you are happy with your veneers. Then the finals are looked at with try-in temporary cement before cementing them. If however you are not comfortable with them after giving yourself a few weeks to adjust to them they can definitely be slightly shortened or recontoured. Talk to your dentist. There are options to make sure you're comfortable! Good luck!

Do my new veneers look a little big? Can they be shaved down? (Photo)

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Answer: Your veneers

Answer: Your veneers

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Do my new veneers look a little big? Can they be shaved down? (Photo)

Answers (5)

Answer: Hard tell without a profile shot

Answer: Hard tell without a profile shot

Answer: Your veneers

Answer: Your veneers

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Porcelain Veneers

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.