Advice on veneer options please?

NurseP

Hey I'm 26 and have just completed orthodontic treatment but I am now wanting to get a veneer done in one of mt front teeth as i broke it as a child and ever since it has been just built up with some kind of composite but looks bulky and i am starting to feel self conscious about it. Went to my dentist yesterday and he gave me 3 options or rather 4 options. (1) I could live with it the way it is (pretty much not what im looking for right now), (2) get a veneer on the NHS (which quoting the dentist "arent amazing" but are cheaper at about £90), (3) go to lab in belfast that will colour match my veneer (but not sure if that improves quality of overall veneer rather than just colour and this would cost at least £250 and the dentist would do all the prep work) or (3) he would get me in touch with a friend of his who specialises in this sort of work but that would cost a lot more (he didnt say how much tho).

Would appreciate any advice from either people who have veneers and dentists also. If it was worth it I wouldn't mind paying the 250 but will it be a lot better than NHS veneer?

brook2jack

One of the most challenging things to get right , in terms of looks, is the restoration of a single front tooth. It's much easier to get a good result doing a couple.

Nhs dentistry is about health not about looks and I'm surprised your dentist even offered a nhs veneer as many wouldn't as cosmetics are not covered on the nhs.

A technician in his lab will get a much better shade match, and the materials used will be better privately and stand a better chance of looking good.

The only reason you are doing this is for cosmetics then go private.

Toothsmith

What she said! ^^^^

coldstreamalways

Twice ^^^^

welshdent

thrice!!!!!

NurseP

But would I be better to get all work done with the private dentist who specialises in veneers, I think it would cost bout £500? I also have to work along side my orthodontist to get a retainer made the same day I get the veneer put on. Thanks

brook2jack

Well your own dentist gave you a good run down of the options. He is going to send you to a technician to take the shade (if you go privately with him) which makes things much easier as the technician will be able to allow for discolouration etc.
This sounds like a sensible option.

However if you are a very particular person absolutely focused on the really fine detail of your tooth the specialist will have built into his costs the extra time and attention this might mean.

I am now hoping some of the other dentists disagree as I find it too spooky to have three others agree!!

coldstreamalways

brook2jack wrote: »

I am now hoping some of the other dentists disagree as I find it too spooky to have three others agree!!

Quite, maybe it's the sort of dentists this site attracts!

Anyway, OP, I used to have an NHS veneer. When I became a dentist, my then boss replaced it privately (with a crown but that's besides the point in this case), he was a general dentist and I have to say the tooth was almost perfect. I sat opposite a specialist at a meeting a year or two ago and when he came to do a demonstration on me (facebow for anyone interested), he was devastated that he hadn't noticed it before.

I have had to have it replaced again unfortunately and my new one, although done privately isn't quite as good but I'm a perfectionist and I'm 95% happy with it.

So, if I had the choice, I would always go to the technician to have the shade done, they really are very good. Failing that I would have it done privately. If I had nothing at all whatsoever, personally, I would be inclined to have nothing done until I could afford to go privately. This is my personal opinion, there are some excellent NHS dentists around who do very good "cosmetic" work on the NHS. By and large though, there isn't the time to pay as much attention to detail as you seem to require (quite rightly) as the appearance is so important to you.

Hope that makes sense!