Trying to Decide Between Veneers and Whitening Treatment?

Match the solution to your personal needs and goals!

Ben was a 33 year old patient of mine who needed help re-creating a great smile. Ben’s teeth were not only crooked and chipped in some places, but they were also severely discolored. Ben wasn’t sure if he needed teeth whitening, veneers, or something else! He did the right thing by coming to consult a cosmetic dentist, and right away I suggested that he take full advantage of both treatments.
Advantages of Veneers:

• Quick and simple
• Permanent color – will not stain
• Looks great!

Advantages of Whitening:

• Treats your own real teeth
• Quick and simple
• Relatively low immediate costs

So you can see from the lists above that neither of the treatments is very time consuming or painful. Veneers can be placed in as little as two quick visits, and teeth whitening can be done in under an hour.
The advantage of veneers over whitening is that veneers can change not only the shade, but also the shape of your smile. Ben didn’t want to whiten his teeth, but still be stuck with crooked, misshapen teeth. By placing a veneer directly over Ben’s less attractive teeth, we immediately gave a whiter, more appealing appearance to his smile – and it was permanent!

With veneers, there’s no need to worry about staining or discoloration over time. As long as you take care not to damage the porcelain veneers (which are extremely durable) your smile will remain brilliantly white!

The easiest solution for Ben would have been to place a full set of veneers covering all of his teeth, and totally re-creating his smile. However, Ben like most of us was constrained by finances and a full set of veneers can cost quite a bit.

Since most of Ben’s teeth were not crooked, but only discolored, he just needed four veneers to cover up some gaps and a crooked incisor. The discoloration was fixed by a simple, cost effective teeth whitening treatment before the matching veneers were placed alongside his teeth.

Other than coming in every 1 to 2 years for a quick whitening “touch up,” so that his natural teeth continue to match the shade of his veneers, Ben doesn’t need to worry about follow-up maintenance.

Now that you’ve got the full story, here are some “take-away” pointers:
Teeth Whitening is great because:

• It dramatically brightens your teeth
• It is quick and easy on your wallet

BUT, if you want to take your smile to the next level, veneers can:

• Change the shape of your smile for a perfect look
• Give you a permanently white smile
• Re-create your smile without annoying “touch ups”

The first step to getting your new smile is to schedule a free consultation, just like Ben did. We’ll evaluate your smile together, set goals, and realistic expectations. Then you can decide which of the two treatments you’d like to go with, or perhaps both!

Next week, look forward to a comparison of veneers and Invisalign treatment. Both are equally valuable, but which one is best for your needs? Find out next week!