Why Do Some Porcelain Veneers Look Fake?

I would like to fix several discolored and slightly crooked front teeth, and porcelain veneers seem like the best option. However, I can almost always tell when someone has veneers. Their teeth look too white, too large and too perfect. Can veneers look completely natural, or will people always know that I have had cosmetic dental work?

Dinah

Dear Dinah,

A well-designed smile makeover can look remarkably natural. When veneers are obvious, the problem is usually not the porcelain itself. It is the way the smile was designed, the quality of the ceramic work or a combination of the two. Because cosmetic dental patients are often looking for that perfect Hollywood smile, many would welcome the opportunity to create a smile that isn’t too perfect.

Natural teeth are far more complex than they first appear. Recreating them requires both technical dental knowledge and an artistic eye.

Natural Teeth Are Not Flat White

One of the easiest ways to make veneers look artificial is to select a single, opaque shade of bright white for every tooth. Healthy natural teeth contain subtle variations in color. They may be slightly warmer near the gumline and more translucent near the biting edges. Light passes into the enamel and reflects from the layers beneath it, which creates depth.

A skilled cosmetic dentist can reproduce these effects by using variations in translucency, brightness and surface texture to create teeth that respond naturally to light.

This does not mean that patients cannot choose a bright smile. The goal is to create the desired level of whiteness without making the teeth look like flat pieces of white plastic. Some have described them as chicklet teeth.

Symmetry Should Not Mean Uniformity

Natural teeth are not perfectly identical. The two front teeth dominate the smile, while the neighboring teeth differ slightly in width, length and shape.

When every veneer is made to the same size and contour, the result can resemble a row of piano keys. Veneers may also look artificial if they are too square, too rounded, or poorly proportioned for the patient’s face.

Smile design must consider more than the teeth alone. The dentist should evaluate the patient’s facial shape, lips, gumline, age and personality. A smile that looks wonderful on one person may appear completely out of place on someone else.

Because of that you need a highly skilled cosmetic dentist. The best cosmetic dentists are  AACD-accredited, They have a proven ability to diagnose, design and complete cosmetic cases according to demanding aesthetic standards. Accreditation requires dentists to not only take exams to demonstrate their technical understanding, but to present their own clinical work for evaluation, not simply attend cosmetic dentistry courses.

Overly Bulky Veneers Can Look Artificial

Porcelain veneers are thin ceramic shells placed over the front surfaces of teeth. To keep them from protruding, a dentist will often remove a small amount of enamel before placing them.

A dentist who attempts to avoid all tooth preparation, such as with no-prep veneers may create bulky or overcontoured veneers. These can make the teeth look too large and may interfere with the way the lips rest over the smile. Bulky margins can also make it more difficult to keep the gumline clean.

On the other hand, removing more enamel than necessary can weaken the teeth and increase the risk of complications. Conservative preparation requires careful planning and precise execution.

Choose the Dentist, Not Just the Procedure

Porcelain veneers are only the material. Their beauty depends on the people designing and creating them, just like a painting’s beauty depends more on the artist than the paint brand.

Before choosing a cosmetic dentist, review that dentist’s credentials and smile gallery. Look for smiles that are attractive but still individual. The patients should not all look to have the exact same smile.

This blog is brought to you by a caring dentist in Nashville, Dr. David Wickness.