Not sure about which shade of veneers I should go for (emax porcelain veneers). How do I choose? (photo)

Question

Hey. I’m in the process of my top 8 teeth veneered. I’m currently with the temporaries on and they’re shade a1. At first the doctor thought that I’m not looking to make my teeth whiter so he picked that color. He suggested me to go with either a1 or b1, I chose b1. It’s only been two days since I got my temps. I’m not sure it will be white as I would like. I’m 18 and I’m fair skinned. Maybe I should go whiter then b1 and maybe get my buttom teeth whitened as well. Thanks for your help.

Anthony Mobasser, DDS, DMD · Answer

The color to be picked is discretionary, your dentist can give you suggestions.The color of your dental veneers to be picked depends on:1- your age, and skin tone2- white of your eyes.3- the original color of your teeth, is a big influence on the final color.The type of porcelain you use, reflect light differently.And know the whiter you go, the bigger the teeth will appear. It would have been advisable to bleach and whiten teeth prior to having veneers done.

Michael D. Kosdon, DDS · Answer

The color of porcelain you choose depends on a few factors- What you're looking to achieve, Natural Vs Hollywood Smile.- Your personality, choose a shade you feel comfortable with.- Age, our teeth naturally get darker as we age, are you looking to reverse the aging ( pick a whiter shade)- Eye color - Going whiter than the whites of your eyes can look unnatural.- Skin Color, people with a reddish skin tone can pick a whiter shade than someone with darker skin and still look natural!- # of veneers you having placed vs how many teeth you show when you smile. If you're only going to do a few veneers and you have a big smile, then its best to pick something similar to your natural shade.Habits- Veneers do pick up a minimal amount of staining after they're initially placed. If you drink a lot of coffee and red wine, you may want to go a shade whiter!Many of our patients come to us with an idea of what they are looking to achieve and whether they are looking for something natural or more of a Hollywood Smile. We go thru the above questions during the initial consultation.Generally if you want a whiter shade than your natural color, you should place veneers are all of the teeth that show when you smile. One thing to consider is that you'll have the chance to evaluate the shades once a temporary is placed. that being said, temps only come in a very limited amount of shades and are extremely susceptible to staining. The temp starts to discolor almost immediately after your first meal, so in a few days the temporary will be a much different shade than the original one.When you've narrowed the color down to only a few shades, I would almost always go with the whiter shade!

George Tsangaroulis, DDS · Answer

That's a great question, it really depends on your current shade of your natural teeth.  The darker/yellower they are, the more it will take to achieve a lighter shade with veneers.  It also depends on the white in your eyes, generally your tooth color approximates the whiteness in your eyes.  I would personally recommend B1, especially if you are not thrilled with the A1 temporaries - it is a natural looking bright shade and it is the next whitest after A1.  You may also want to consider whitening your lower teeth first prior to choosing a final shade to see how light your lower teeth get.  Based on your description and your photos however, I would not choose lighter than B1, they may not look natural if they are too white.  Good luck!

Navid Zamani, DMD · Answer

HI, thanks for sending your question. It is imperative that you are shown shade guides for you to visual the shades against your teeth and compare against the current colors. There are also other shades, called Bleached  shades which are available to use. Please discuss these with your treating dentist as well. All the best.

Amber Garcia, DDS · Answer

The ultimate shade of the veneers is up to you. A1 is a very normal and maintainable color. You will have to whiten the lower teeth periodically so they will match. The issue with going too white is your natural teeth on the bottom may not match the veneers even after whitening. If you're going to go very white, you may want to consider veneers on the lower as well so they will match. Otherwise, B1 or A1 should be a good natural color.

Not sure about which shade of veneers I should go for (emax porcelain veneers). How do I choose? (photo)

Answers (8)

Answer: Veneer shades

Answer: Veneer shades

Answer: Shade

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Not sure about which shade of veneers I should go for (emax porcelain veneers). How do I choose? (photo)

Answers (8)

Answer: Veneer shades

Answer: Veneer shades

Answer: Shade

Answer: Shade

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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.