My daugter chipped about 1/2 of her front tooth off when she was 8. It was bonded and still looks very good, but the lower edge is a little transparent. She is now 21 and is considering veneers. Can a veneer be placed over a 1/2 bonded tooth, or will a crown be required first? Would you recomeend veneers for both front teeth to insure a match in color?
- Ray
Ray,
Yes, a porcelain veneer can be placed over a tooth that is half tooth bonding. However, the problem is that the porcelain is much more durable than the bonding, so the lifespan of the veneer would be limited by the bonding. It wouldn’t likely cost any more to get an all-porcelain crown on that tooth–we charge the same for either service. The disadvantage is that a crown requires grinding away more of the tooth. But if half of it is gone already, I wouldn’t consider that an issue. The advantage is that the crown would last much longer.
Many dentists have problem matching the color of a single front tooth. However, we feel confident that we can get a perfect match for you. Color training and an eye for color are an important difference between a general dentist who enjoys doing some cosmetic dentistry and a genuine cosmetic dentist who has an artistic flair and a passion for appearance-related dentistry.