Hollywood Smile: Orthodontics or Veneers—Where to Start?

The Hollywood Smile: What Is It?

Straight from California, the "Hollywood Smile" refers to the trademark of celebrity smiles: perfectly shaped and sized teeth, a brilliant white color, and a perfectly harmonious smile. When the person smiles, the gums are barely visible, and the teeth have a harmonious and relatively standardized length and width.

But how do they all achieve this same smile in movies or on television? Is it orthodontics, whitening, veneers, or a combination of all three? And how much do the different treatment options cost? In this article, we will try to best answer these questions by comparing orthodontics and ceramic veneers.

Should You Start with Orthodontics or Dental Veneers?

Before starting any dental or orthodontic treatments for your smile, the first question is which treatment option is most suitable for your case, and how to plan the care pathway. **The answer is almost always: start with orthodontics.**

While whitening can be done quickly and affordably, dental veneers and orthodontic appliances require more consideration and are more costly. For veneers to achieve a beautiful result, they must be placed on properly aligned teeth. Trying to fix crooked teeth with veneers alone often leads to bulky, unnatural-looking results and requires aggressive removal of healthy tooth structure.

Furthermore, veneers must be replaced several times throughout a patient's life, whereas orthodontics offers a permanent alignment solution. Most importantly, orthodontics is a conservative approach that preserves your natural tooth enamel, while veneers require irreversible enamel removal. Veneers can be placed *after* orthodontic treatment to perfect shape and color, but the reverse is not possible.

For undecided patients, the recommended path is to start with orthodontic treatment and whitening. After the treatment, most patients are completely satisfied. If some teeth still have aesthetic issues (like shape or size), one or more veneers can be considered as a finishing touch.

Dental Veneers: An Optimal Result on Aligned Teeth!

Dental veneers are thin, custom-made shells made of tooth-like material. They are designed to cover the front surface of teeth to improve their appearance. They can be made of porcelain or composite resin, and their price varies depending on the material and the practitioner.

Porcelain veneers are stain-resistant and mimic the light-reflecting properties of natural teeth. They are commonly used to repair discolored teeth, which can be due to various reasons such as root canal treatment, medication, excessive fluoride use, or large fillings that have altered the tooth's appearance.

Veneers can also be used to correct worn, chipped, or broken teeth, irregularly shaped teeth, or gaps that cannot be corrected by orthodontics alone.

The Pros and Cons of Dental Veneers to Consider

The Disadvantages of Dental Veneers

• To ensure a proper fit, a portion of the tooth's enamel must be removed to compensate for the veneer's thickness. This procedure is irreversible, and you will need to wear veneers for the rest of your life.
• If your teeth are very crowded, the veneers might need to be quite thick and bulky to create alignment. Some patients find this uncomfortable, and they can be more difficult to clean and maintain.
• It is unlikely that dental veneers will last a lifetime. As your gums naturally recede, you may begin to notice a gap between your gum line and the top of the veneer.
• Veneers are not always the right choice for patients who clench or grind their teeth, as they can chip or break. If you clench or grind your teeth, your dentist may suggest wearing a plastic nightguard while you sleep.

The Advantages of Dental Veneers

• Veneers are a highly effective way to improve the shape and color of teeth.
• Veneers can typically be placed in just a few visits to your dentist.
• Porcelain veneers do not change color over time and are stain-resistant.
• Veneers can look very natural, identical to your other teeth.

How Are Dental Veneers Placed?

To prepare the teeth, your dentist typically removes a small amount of enamel from the front and sides of the teeth. This makes room for the dental veneer so that your teeth look natural.

Your dentist takes an impression of the prepared teeth and also decides on the shade that will best suit your smile.

The impression is then sent to a dental laboratory, which custom-fabricates the porcelain veneers to fit your teeth. This can take several days. The dentist may give you temporary veneers to wear in the meantime.

At the next visit, the veneers are placed on the teeth to check their fit and shape. After any necessary adjustments, the teeth are cleaned, and the final restorations are bonded to your teeth.

Note that your teeth and gums must be healthy before you receive veneers. Your dentist must treat any decay or gum disease before the veneers are placed.