Can Porcelain Veneers Correct Overlapping Crowded Teeth? (photo)

Veneers can definitely correct crowded teeth.  However, you want to be careful when deciding to treat your teeth with veneers.  Due to the amount of crowding I see in your picture, I would feel more comfortable treating you with some kind of orthodontic treatment.  You have options such as traditional orthodontic treatment (ie: braces) or Invisalign (clear aligners).  Based on the picture I see of your teeth, you seem to be a younger patient.  Therefore, be careful when deciding to do any treatment which requires grinding on tooth structure, ie: Veneers.  You may want to take the more conservative route so that you preserve more of your natural tooth structure. Good Luck!

Dr. Parnaz Aurasteh

Veneers are always a fantastic option to address esthetic needs and concerns of patients' smiles.   If you would like to proceed with veneers however, I would proceed with caution and understanding that there are potential risks.  There are no guarantees the veneers will remain straight, unless you have a permanent or removable retainer.  Time-permitting, it is always ideal to have all your teeth straightened, aligned, and with a proper bite prior to restoring with veneers.  There are a few reasons:  if your teeth are crowded, you may continue to accumulate plaque in those areas despite having the perception that they look straight with the new veneers.  Another risk is overpreparing teeth.  The goal is to be conservative;  minimally invasive and having to remove far less, if any, tooth structure.  There is also a risk of bite and premature collisions with the lower teeth.  Based on your picture, some of your lower front teeth are protruding out of alignment which may become an interference when you're biting, chewing or grinding.  You may want to have a consult with an Orthodontist prior to committing to veneers right away to obtain more information.  It is possible you may even like the way your teeth look after they have straightened, and simply whiten them and they could look great.  At the end of the day it is your decision what to do, but it's nice to have informed consent and knowledge of what you are getting into.  Best of luck!

Porcelain veneers can offer a very good solution to your overlapping upper teeth.  Yours is a challenging case and should only be done by a VERY experienced cosmetic dentist that uses proper planning prior to starting your treatment.  This planning includes before and after imaging, a diagnostic wax up, and meticulous temporary veneers.  There is a risk of needed future root canal treatment due to the extreme crowding you exhibit.  If your dentist does not tell you this I would be very skeptical.





Steven M. Goldy,DDS

In answer to your question, porcelain veneers would be a great option for you in achieving a more symmetrical, even, and brighter smile. They are often used to correct crowded teeth. Just remember when treating crowded teeth, we need to prepare the tooth more and there is always the small risk of having to treat the nerve. The ideal treatment (although longer) is Invisalign and then veneers. If you decide to do veneers right away, talk to your dentist about pros and cons for your particular case and degree of crowding. The amount of veneers you need depends on how widely you smile and what your goals are. In most cases 8 or 10 veneers will achieve a beautiful complete result.The procedure takes multiple office visits. It starts with a planning phase where take impressions and photographs and we get a mockup from the lab where we can create a trial smile. You can actually see in our mouth what your smile with veneers would look like. Then after your teeth are prepared you wear temporaries for a few weeks and come in for your final restorations to be cemented permanently. Good luck! Follow us for more information.

You need to reconsider Invisalign or Braces. You might be able to improve your smile without any extractions. You are concerned about "pain." Invisalign is typically not a painful process. With the new aligners patients report that the treatment is very comfortable. What will be more "painful" is having to file down your teeth for porcelain veneers and the added cost of having to redo them in the future. 

In theory you could fix your smile with veneers but it should not be your first option.

Based on the photos that you submitted and your age, I would advise getting another consultation for Invisalign. I have treated many crowding cases such as yours with Invisalign, most very easily and without extractions necessary. In the past, extraction therapy and conventional braces would be an understandable pause to consider another option such as porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers, which I have been placing since 1983, while another option, would involve significant preparation (filing down) of your young healthy teeth, which will probably also involve anesthetic injections, temporary veneers (while the permanents get made). They would also, most probably, involve more sensitivity, and most definitely, be more cost. 

Veneers usually fix problems like crowding. The more the crowding, the more it's necessary to plan well. Also, the more crowded it is, the more important you find a highly skilled cosmetic dentist.

You might be able to just fix the top teeth, but sometimes the straightness of your new top smile may be interfered with by the misalignment of your bottom teeth.

Sometimes some straightening or correction of your lower teeth is necessary as well, so that the new top smile can fit together correctly.

You will be unhappy with the results if you have an average dentist make your veneers. Your case is complex and you need a high degree of skill and experience to get a result you'll love.

 

You should not rule out short-term invisalign or braces but if you absolutely don't want straightening, the short answer is yes veneers will work but there are several considerations.  The most important one is the position of the front tooth that sticks out the most and how much it would need to be reduced to allow for the thickness of the veneer.  I have done several cases similar to yours with veneers but careful planning is required.  Find an experienced cosmetic dentist who can do a complete smile analysis and be sure to ask for a wax model to see what your final veneers will look like and how much tooth reduction is necessary.

The best option in your case is salign. Based on your picture, I am pretty sure that there is a way without having to extract teeth. Now, that being said, your case can be correct with crowns and veneer, although you have severe crowding. The treatment is permanent, but you may have to eventually replace the veneers and crowns in ten to fifthteen years (normal wearness). The whole process might take about a month to fix your smile.