Porcelain Veneers Candidates

Porcelain veneers are one of the most popular cosmetic dentistry procedures available today. However, not every person interested in porcelain veneers will make a good candidate for the procedure. An initial consultation with an experienced cosmetic dentist will help a patient determine if they are a good candidate for porcelain veneers, or if another treatment will be better suited to their individual dental health needs and goals. In general, good candidates for porcelain veneers will meet the following criteria:

Good Oral Health

To have porcelain veneers placed or undergo other cosmetic dentistry procedures a patient should have good oral health. Patients with some oral health concerns may not be good candidates for porcelain veneers. These concerns include gingivitis, gum disease, excessive tooth decay, and severe misalignment.

Cosmetic Concerns

Porcelain veneers are used to address cosmetic imperfections such as stained, misshaped, chipped, and misaligned teeth. During the consultation, the dentist will discuss the patient's cosmetic concerns in more detail to determine if porcelain veneers are an appropriate treatment choice, or if the patient may benefit from another cosmetic dentistry procedure.

Understand Alternatives

A good candidate for porcelain veneers should be well educated about the procedure as well as other cosmetic dentistry options available. The porcelain veneers procedure is not reversible, so a patient should explore alternative treatment options prior to making the decision to undergo veneers. Some of the other options to correct flaws in a patient’s smile include: teeth whitening, dental crowns, and Invisalign®.

Realistic Expectations

Good candidates for porcelain veneers have realistic expectations of the procedure and the final outcome. In order to have realistic expectations a patient should understand the placement procedure and realize that the results may vary from patient to patient.