Dental Advice faq from Seattle Area Dentist

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Please consult your dentist prior to following any advice on these pages. Disclaimer

I have crowded and crooked front teeth and I DON'T want braces! Please tell me about veneers.

Thank you for your question regarding anterior veneers for your teeth. You are correct that veneers can often be placed on malpositioned teeth to 'even them out'. Two general types of veneers are possible...

1) Porcelain veneers which are the most permanent and esthetic and are fabricated by our dental lab.

2) Direct composite veneers which are less expensive and are essentially tooth colored fillings.

Another useful tool we use in our office is diagnostic casts of your teeth on which we design a
wax replica of what your teeth will look like BEFORE you have anything done to them! Later today, I will e-mail you example photos of just such a waxup I have recently completed which is similar to your situation. You may or may not also be aware that braces can still be used to correct the position of your teeth as well. It is sometimes necessary to correct other causes of the crowding in your front teeth as well (ie- if you have impacted wisdom teeth, they may be creating forces which can shift your teeth over the years). I will be very happy to answer any more of your questions, Rebecca. If you have not done so already, please check out our web site at http://www.seattle-dentist.com. You may also call our office to speak with me by phone.