My veneers look too perfect, is there anything I can do to fix them? (Photos)

Question

I recently spent $30,000 on a set of replacement veneers, and the experience has been a huge fail. I went into this with very specific aesthetic goals and spent a significant amount of time explaining the exact look I was trying to achieve. for. I wanted a specific refinement and a certain "look" that I was very clear about, and they completely missed the mark. I knew the dentist default is to make everything straight and white , so I explicitly pushed for the opposite. For example during the prep time one of the preps fell out and i much preffered that to how they look now which is too perfect, is there anything i can do

Beau Keller, DDS · Answer

If your veneers feel “too perfect,” too uniform, or less natural than the smile you were hoping for, I would consider conservative recontouring before automatically replacing them.
Looking at your before photo compared with your current veneers, one of the differences I notice is that your natural teeth had more variation in their lengths and shapes. In particular, you previously had more of what cosmetic dentists call a “lateral step.” This means the lateral incisors&mdash;the teeth immediately next to the two front teeth&mdash;were slightly shorter than the central incisors and canines. That subtle variation can help give a smile a more natural appearance.
Your natural canines also appeared somewhat sharper and more defined. Depending on the thickness and design of your existing porcelain veneers, it may be possible to recontour the canines to restore some of that character.
Another area that can make veneers look overly uniform is the embrasures. These are the small V-shaped spaces that develop between the edges of adjacent teeth. If veneers are designed with very little separation from one tooth to the next, the smile can sometimes appear too closed-off or artificial. Carefully opening the embrasures can create more individual tooth definition and may make the veneers look considerably more natural.
Because replacing veneers is a significant procedure&mdash;and in your case represents another substantial financial investment after already spending approximately $30,000&mdash;I think it is reasonable to see whether your current veneers can first be reshaped.
The important question is whether your dentist understands the particular aesthetic you are trying to achieve and is comfortable recontouring porcelain veneers. If you are considering replacing them anyway, there is relatively little downside to discussing whether conservative reshaping could get you closer to the look you wanted before starting over.
If recontouring does not make you happy enough, then replacement may ultimately be the only way to substantially change the overall design of the smile.
If you do consider replacing the veneers, whether with your current dentist or another cosmetic dentist, I would have a very detailed discussion about exactly what will be different the second time. I would also look through a very large number of that dentist’s veneer before-and-after cases&mdash;not simply a few selected examples&mdash;and specifically look for patients whose veneers have the natural variation, lateral step, embrasures, canine definition, and overall character that you prefer.
For a highly specific aesthetic result, I would not limit the search purely by geography. Veneer styles can vary considerably between cosmetic dentists, and finding someone whose body of work consistently matches the particular look you want may be more important than choosing the closest provider.
The good news is that “natural” does not necessarily require starting over. Sometimes relatively small changes in tooth length, edge shape, embrasures, and canine contour can dramatically change how a set of veneers is perceived.

Nirav Patel, MDS, PhD · Answer

Please describe in detail what you are happy with and what you are not happy with, point by point. As you mentioned, you had specific goals, what exactly were those goals? Please describe them clearly.

Veneers are a personalised treatment, and we usually divide them into three categories: perfect anatomy (ideal shape and alignment irrespective of the previous look), Barbie/fake look (very white and slightly artificial, which some people prefer), and natural look (mimicking the patient’s original dentition).

Normally, we discuss this before starting treatment. In your case, since you are not happy, please share your exact concerns so I can guide you better.

My veneers look too perfect, is there anything I can do to fix them? (Photos)

Answers (2)

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