After Years of Struggling with my Teeth, I Finally Have my Perfect Smile! - Ithaca, NY

My gums are 100% heeled. The top photo shows my teeth before I had done any bleaching! I am so happy with the end result!!

From the time I was young, I've had issues with my teeth. From chipping a tooth when I was 7 to crashing into a wall at age 10 and having to have 4 teeth put back in my mouth. Since then I've had root canals, one of the teeth removed and braces not once, but twice. After doing an awful job keeping up with my invisalign after braces, my teeth shifted and it came to the point that it wouldn't be possible to have braces for a third time due to the condition of my teeth. So after discussion between my orthodontist and dentist, we decided that veneers (for teeth 7,8,9,10) would be the best option for me.

So basically the whole procedure has four stages depending on your dentist.

1) Whitening: The shade you choose for your veneers will not change, so it is important to be content with your shade. My dentist had me do opalescence and I was able to go from a shade A3 to a W2 within a few months and it was 100% painless!

2) Impressions and Wax-Up Model: Your dentist will likely have you come in and do impressions to be sent to the lab that is making your veneers. You will come back and be able to see a wax model of what your teeth could potentially look like. My dentist explained that he would be able to sculpt my gum line, so it would be higher and more even. As well as enameloplasty on my canine teeth.

3) Temporary Veneers: This is probably the most significant and time consuming part of the procedure (around 3 hours). This is when your dentist will prep your teeth by removing a thin layer of the enamel, as well as sculpting your gums. Then they will adhere the veneers on with a weak glue, so you must be careful! Mine fell off several times which was a nuisance, so make sure to schedule your final appointment as close to the temp appointment as possible! If you are happy with the looks of your temporary veneers, your dentist may have you take impressions to have sent to the lab with what you would like altered. For example I wanted me laterals (7 and 10) to be slightly longer. No matter how much you love them, I promise that the final veneers are even better!

4) The Final Product: This is when you will have your porcelain veneers cemented in. Any alterations can still be made. I had some more enameloplasty done to correct my bite, and some more sculpting of my gums. The final product is completely opaque so none of the discoloration of my dentine is visible. Overall I absolutely LOVE them and would not change a thing.

Pros:
-Results of braces minus the time commitment
-Can fix things that braces can't
-Looks amazing and not at all fake.
-Prep was less invasive than expected
-They won't stain (though your other teeth may look weird next to them)
-Can last 20-30 years
-They feel like real teeth

Cons:
-My teeth were sensitive after the procedure, but this has gotten better.
-Very expensive ($1000 per tooth), and insurance does not cover it.
-The temporaries are a royal pain.
-Avoiding eating foods that will stain your teeth. Easier said than done.
-You will never be able to open a bottle cap with your teeth again (probably not something that anyone should do in the first place!)