A Full Mouth Construction for Whiter Teeth?

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About 25 years ago, I had a smile makeover that included one dental crown and three porcelain veneers. They need to be replaced. I went to see my dentist about it and he suggested I do full upper and lower crowns because my teeth have yellowed. I’m a bit uncomfortable with crowns on teeth that don’t need them and was hoping just to replace the one crown and get porcelain veneers on the other three. Is that a bad idea?

Sara

Dear Sara,

An image of a porcelain veneer being held up to a tooth

Your plan is very reasonable. Your dentist’s, on the other hand, is a massive overtreatment. If I understood you correctly, he is suggesting that you crown all of your teeth to make them whiter?? If you want to whiten your teeth, the way to do that is by bleaching your teeth, not grinding them down and covering them.

I’m also concerned that he is suggesting crowns instead of veneers. If you want a smile makeover, porcelain veneers are the standard. They produce beautiful results when done by a skilled, artistic cosmetic dentist. They also preserve most of your tooth structure. Dentists that offer crowns for smile makeovers when they are unnecessary are usually compensating for the fact that they are not good at cosmetic dentistry. This is not who you would want to do your smile makeover.

Even his suggestion of crowning every tooth is a dangerous proposition. This is a full mouth reconstruction and is usually only done in cases of severe TMJ disorder or when the teeth have been ground down from bruxism. This is also an advanced procedure that requires a lot of post-doctoral training. If it is not done correctly, it could actually throw off your bite and leave you in pain for the rest of your life.

My advice is to have your dentist whiten your teeth. That is a basic procedure that any dentist can do. Then, find an expert cosmetic dentist to replace your porcelain veneers and dental crown. Your best option would be to see an AACD accredited dentist. They have proven skill and artistry.

This blog is brought to you by Franklin, TN Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Christopher Weber.