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Are you considering a smile makeover with porcelain veneers? One of the most important decisions you’ll make other than the shape, size, and type of veneers you’re getting is how many you will need.
In most cases, the number of veneers you need will depend on how ‘wide’ your smile is. When you look at your teeth in the mirror, how many are visible whenever you’re smiling? When you laugh, do more teeth show than usual?
Since porcelain veneers typically cover your upper front visible teeth, the number that are visible will be a determining factor in your treatment planning.
For most people, an average of 6-8 veneers are recommended. However, certain individuals with exceptionally wide smiles (the movie star Julia Roberts is a classic example) may need as many as ten veneers or more.
You may be wondering, ‘Do I need veneers on my lower front teeth as well?’
That’s an excellent question and if you did, you would need to budget for additional porcelain veneers. But in most situations, veneers are only placed on the upper teeth. It has to do with the way your bite closes together. If we were to place veneers on the lower front teeth, the edges of the porcelain restorations might hit against the back of your upper teeth, leading to unnecessary chipping or fractures.
Since your upper teeth slightly overlap your lower front teeth, it usually isn’t aesthetically required to place veneers on the lower ones. This further reduces the total number of veneers you need. Example below: 10 veneers on Upper teeth
Is it possible to get porcelain veneers on certain teeth but crowns on others? Or place your veneers next to dental implants?
Yes. But for best aesthetic results, we recommend designing each of your restorations collectively at the same time. This allows us to ensure that the porcelain in your veneers and crowns is consistent from one tooth to the next. The key is to craft them all at the same time in the same lab. Trying to place one or the other at a separate time can make it especially challenging to match the porcelain as well as when they’re delivered together.
We don’t recommend placing veneers on teeth with large older fillings, fractures, or decay. However, alternative restorations can be used along with your new porcelain veneers for a holistic approach to your smile makeover.
Dr Manish Shah and Dr Kinnar Shah have extensive experience planning aesthetic smile makeovers with porcelain veneers. If you’re considering veneer treatment, we recommend reserving an exam at our Sydney or Five Dock office to discuss a care plan for your unique smile. Every individual is different, so you may need more or fewer veneers than you actually expect.
Contact Smile Concepts today to reserve a no-obligation evaluation. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have about the porcelain veneer process.
Still wondering if veneers are right for you? Give us a ring to talk to our experts to find out your best options!
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Dr. Manish Shah is a cosmetic dentist with a special interest in porcelain veneers, dental implants and Invisalign in Sydney. He is also a medical doctor with an expertise in sleep & craniofacial pain medicine practising at Smile Concepts.
