Baton Rouge Dentist

Can I go to a dental school for porcelain veneers?

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I have always hated the stain on my teeth from the antibiotic tetracycline. I have hidden my teeth when I smile for as long as I remember. We just retired and all the kids are gone, so I’m ready to do something for me and fix my smile. I think I want to get porcelain veneers. My daughter mentioned that they took my granddaughter to a dental school for orthodontics and it saved her a lot of money. I am wondering if I can go to a dental school for porcelain veneers? What are the drawbacks?

Thanks,
Ann, Birmingham, AL

Dear Ann,

Porcelain veneers are a great way to cover tetracycline stains since teeth whitening isn’t effective. They can help you get a beautiful smile–if it is done by the right dentist.

Dentists who create a smile that you would be proud to show off have completed extensive training after dentistry school to learn the artistic aspect of veneers. They learn coloration, shaping, size, and opacity. These cosmetic dentists listen to what you want your smile to look like, what you want to change. They will often create a “mock up” so you can see what your veneers will look like on your teeth before they bond on your permanent veneers. This ensures that you are happy with the final product.

Unfortunately, a dental school is not the place to get porcelain veneers. Students there are learning the fundamentals of dentistry. They are learning how to fix your teeth. That is the priority, not aesthetics. Likely, if you went to a dental school for porcelain veneers, you would have a student doing it for the first time and you would get what you paid for.

If you want porcelain veneers, a better option would be to save your money and do it right the first time with a cosmetic dentist rather than spending the money and having to still pay the greater amount later to have them fixed.

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My dentist says my teeth are too far gone for teeth whitening

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I have stains on my teeth from medicine I took as a child. My dentist said because of that I’ll need to get porcelain veneers. That my teeth are too dark for teeth whitening. Porcelain veneers are much more expensive than teeth whitening. I am tired of my dark teeth, but is that really my only option?

Nicole K. – Detroit, MI

Nicole,

I suspect you have stains from tetracycline. They do tend to make the teeth so dark that it is hard to repair them.  I am suspect of your dentist’s advice though. As difficult it is to get your teeth to whiten with tetracycline stains, it is more difficult to get them to look natural with porcelain veneers.

If you don’t want to spend that much money, I would ask him to try the teeth whitening first. Some dentists have had remarkable success, experimenting with different brands and systems.

Because of the depth of the stains a cosmetic dentist has to strike a delicate balance.  You need them to be opaque enough to cover the stains, but not so opaque that they lose the translucent look of natural teeth.

I’d have to be confident that your dentist was an expert in the cosmetic field. He would need significant post-graduate training in porcelain veneers with a great eye for artistry. Ask him how many tetracycline cases he has done and ask to see the results.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.