Ask a doctor

Regretting Veneers, should I have gone back to the orthodontist? (photos)

I had braces for 6 years. After that, they told me I had pegged laterals and that braces would not be able to fix the huge gaps that I had between my front teeth and laterals.So they put huge veneers over my two laterals (as seen in the first picture). 5 years later, and I hate the way it looks, so my new dentist said I could get veneers on my front 6 teeth to balance the size out (2nd picture).But now I hate that I had to lose my natural teeth for it.Should I have gone back to the orthodontist?

Doctor Answers 3

Regretting veneers

November 6th, 2016
{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

Orthodontics alone would not have been able to give you the smile that you wanted.  If you are happy with your new smile, then don't beat yourself up and dwell in the past.  If you are not happy with the way your smile now looks, speak with your dentist and tell him what it is that you do not like.  To make major changes would require removing the old veneers and making new ones.  If you and your dentist decide to proceed, my recommendation would be to have your dentist take an impressions of your upper and lower teeth and send to a laboratory to do a diagnostic wax up.  The lab will reduce the size of the existing veneers on a stone model and design new veneers in wax.  You and your dentist should give the lab as much information about how you want them to look, or just ask to make them ideal to blend with the size of your natural teeth.  You should send the lab the two pictures that you are showing in this post.  If you decide to proceed after seeing the wax up, your dentist will remove the existing veneers and be able to copy the wax up to make your temporary veneers.  In this way, you will get to preview how the new veneers will lool, to assure that you will get the desired results.  


Gary Braunstein, DDS
November 6th, 2016

Regretting veneers

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

Orthodontics alone would not have been able to give you the smile that you wanted.  If you are happy with your new smile, then don't beat yourself up and dwell in the past.  If you are not happy with the way your smile now looks, speak with your dentist and tell him what it is that you do not like.  To make major changes would require removing the old veneers and making new ones.  If you and your dentist decide to proceed, my recommendation would be to have your dentist take an impressions of your upper and lower teeth and send to a laboratory to do a diagnostic wax up.  The lab will reduce the size of the existing veneers on a stone model and design new veneers in wax.  You and your dentist should give the lab as much information about how you want them to look, or just ask to make them ideal to blend with the size of your natural teeth.  You should send the lab the two pictures that you are showing in this post.  If you decide to proceed after seeing the wax up, your dentist will remove the existing veneers and be able to copy the wax up to make your temporary veneers.  In this way, you will get to preview how the new veneers will lool, to assure that you will get the desired results.  


Gary Braunstein, DDS

Veneer regrets? #DrSoftTouch

November 3rd, 2016
{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

I'm sorry to hear that your regretting your decision. Personally, I don't think orthodontics would have given you a better result. Don't be so hard on yourself. There's no turning back now, so embrace your new smile. I hope this helps. Click save on the save button below my name, so that you may ask me more questions in the future.

Web reference: https://www.realself.com/find/Missouri/Saint-Louis/Dentist/Sarah-Thompson#photo-3165515

Sarah Thompson, DMD
November 3rd, 2016

Veneer regrets? #DrSoftTouch

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

I'm sorry to hear that your regretting your decision. Personally, I don't think orthodontics would have given you a better result. Don't be so hard on yourself. There's no turning back now, so embrace your new smile. I hope this helps. Click save on the save button below my name, so that you may ask me more questions in the future.

Learn more: https://www.realself.com/find/Missouri/Saint-Louis/Dentist/Sarah-Thompson#photo-3165515

Sarah Thompson, DMD

Peg Laterals

November 3rd, 2016
{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

At this point, there's no point in beating yourself up over that. What's done is done. The bottom line now is whether or not you're happy with how your teeth look today. If you're not, you can see someone who can make beautiful veneers that will look like teeth and last a long time. If you like the veneers, keep taking care of your teeth and they'll hold up well. Unfortunately, you can't go back and remake your decision. I hope this helps!

Joseph B. Silberman, DMD, FAGD
November 3rd, 2016

Peg Laterals

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

At this point, there's no point in beating yourself up over that. What's done is done. The bottom line now is whether or not you're happy with how your teeth look today. If you're not, you can see someone who can make beautiful veneers that will look like teeth and last a long time. If you like the veneers, keep taking care of your teeth and they'll hold up well. Unfortunately, you can't go back and remake your decision. I hope this helps!

Joseph B. Silberman, DMD, FAGD

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.