Can 2-3 Dental Veneers Fix One Crooked Front Tooth?

I have one crooked front tooth that really bothers me.. I don't wanna pay $6,000 for braces just to correct one tooth that drives me crazy although I will if I have no other option. Are veneers able to fix this problem or will I need to prepare for braces?

Doctor Answers 3

Can 2-3 Dental Veneers Fix One Crooked Front Tooth?

Great question, and one that comes up often. 

While Veneers are a wonderful option for creating beautiful smiles any dentist with extensive veneer experience will tell you that working on a single tooth is a huge challenge. Using 2-3 Veneers may be equally challenging for a few reasons. 

If you are trying to alter the shape on one tooth the dentist will have only the space between the two opposing teeth to create the veneer. This may not allow for the Veneer to be a size or shape that compliments your other teeth and may not look natural. 

If your only working on one tooth you are also constrained by the colour of your existing teeth. matching one veneer, or even three , to your natural tooth colour can be challenging and its important to remember that, while your teeth may yellow over time (with diet, habits etc) the Veneers won't. so you may have colour discrepancies with only a few veneers. 

Another thing to think about is we (society) generally sees beauty in bi-lateral symmetry. Looking the same on both sides , eye position. ears, nose, etc. all comes into play in what we see as beauty in our society. That being said it would never be advisable to do an odd number of Veneers. If you do decide on only doing a few teeth then stick to pairs to ensure the best aesthetic result. 

Now, Orthodontics - before any Veneers should be taken into account I think at least looking at your orthodontic options would be important. There are options in orthodontics and you may not have to have full braces. there are options like active retainers, ClearLine or Invisalign appliances. Some more or less expensive than others. 

Find a dentist who is familiar with Smile design. While you may not want a full smile design there may be more options available to you than you think. 

I hope this helps. 

Vancouver Dentist
5.0 out of 5 stars 1 review

Can Porcelain Veneers Make My Teeth Straight Without Braces?

Absolutely, porcelain veneers can be made to make crooked teeth straight.  Best thing, you get your straight teeth in just two visits, rather than 6-24 months of braces.

We (cosmetic dentists) often affectionately call this technique "instant orthodontics", although it really isn't orthodontics at all. 

You might want to look at the cosmetic dentistry blog below that shows many examples of this.

Norman Huefner, DDS
Laguna Niguel Dentist


In answer to your question, porcelain veneers would be a great option for you in achieving a more symmetrical, even, and brighter smile. The amount of veneers you need depends on how widely you smile and what your goals are. In most cases 8 or 10 veneers will achieve a beautiful complete result.The procedure takes multiple office visits. It starts with a planning phase where take impressions and photographs and we get a mockup from the lab where we can create a trial smile. You can actually see in our mouth what your smile with veneers would look like. Then after your teeth are prepared you wear temporaries for a few weeks and come in for your final restorations to be cemented permanently. Good luck!

Victoria Veytsman, DDS
New York Dentist
5.0 out of 5 stars 9 reviews
