My dentist is referring me to an orthodontist for mild overbite correction with Invisalign. As I asked, she said she could not do porcelain veneers because it wouldn’t work. She said the only option is to do porcelain crowns on my six front teeth instead of veneers. I do not want my teeth ground down for crowns. My other concern is tetracycline stains on my teeth. I am not sure how the stains would get resolved with just orthodontics. Are there options other than what my dentist knows about? Thank you. – Leigha
Leigha,
You are wise to decline crowns on your front upper teeth. A skilled cosmetic dentist can place veneers and confine the work to the fronts of your teeth to soften mild overbite and conceal tetracycline stains. Severe overbite requires orthodontics. Your dentist’s options of orthodontic treatment or all crowns imply that she is uncomfortable using porcelain veneers for your procedure. Skilled cosmetic dentists do not decline to do veneers because of mild overbite.
Should You Get Veneers or Invisalign for Overbite?
After an exam and X-rays, a skilled cosmetic dentist can determine whether you can benefit from porcelain veneers or Invisalign for an overbite. Mild overbite cases can benefit from porcelain veneers, but a dentist may recommend orthodontics for severe cases.
Will Invisalign Correct Overbite?
Invisalign will correct an overbite. If you prefer orthodontics to straighten your teeth, an experienced Invisalign provider or orthodontist can do it.
Dental Crowns for Six Front Teeth
Getting dental crowns for six front teeth has some disadvantages.
- Grinds away healthy teeth – If your teeth are healthy, your dentist will grind away tooth structure to place crowns over them. And if your dentist is trying to correct overbite with crowns, a significant amount of tooth structure will be gone.
- Does not complete your smile – Eight to twelve teeth show when you smile, so crowns for six teeth will still leave teeth on either side dark from tetracycline stains.
Concealing Tetracycline Stains
A skilled cosmetic dentist and ceramist can craft porcelain veneers to conceal tetracycline stains. However, this requires advanced training and knowledge of manipulating color and translucence without making the veneers look pasty.
Many experienced cosmetic dentists successfully treat tetracycline stains with in-office whitening and porcelain veneers. It may be possible to improve your tooth color with bleaching and correct your overbite with Invisalign, but stay away from a dentist who wants to grind down your teeth from crowns.
Get a Second Opinion
We recommend that you find an expert cosmetic dentist for a consultation. After examining your teeth, the dentist will discuss your options.
Lowell, Massachusetts, accredited cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Szarek sponsors this post.