Can I Get Veneers if My Teeth Are Crooked?

If you’re looking to enhance your smile and your teeth are crooked, you may be wondering whether you can still get dental veneers. Or do you need to have your teeth straightened first?

The good news is that less severe cases of crooked teeth don’t stop you from going ahead and getting veneers.

Even better news – veneers make crooked teeth look straighter.

17 May 2022

How Veneers Work on Crooked Teeth

If your teeth are slightly or moderately crooked, porcelain veneers – ultra-thin tooth-coloured shells that are attached to the front of teeth – create the appearance of a straighter smile by improving the appearance of tooth shape and size.

In these cases, veneers can enhance your smile in a fraction of the time that orthodontic treatment would take, although they don’t rectify the underlying problem.

The orthodontic process can take a couple of years. The porcelain veneer process takes about three weeks, which is why some people call veneers “instant orthodontics”.

As well as making your teeth look straighter, veneers will also conceal tooth stains and chipping, and give your teeth an extra layer of protection. And porcelain veneers can last for 20 years and resist staining better than natural teeth.

Instances when veneers may be a good option in less acute cases of crooked teeth include:

Protruding teeth.
Slightly gapped teeth.
One tooth out of alignment.
Prominent canine teeth (front teeth next to incisors).
One or more teeth set back from the others.

Combining Veneers with Orthodontic Treatment

If your teeth are crooked to the extent they’re affecting oral health and function, you should consider orthodontic treatment first – conventional braces or the faster alternative of clear plastic aligners like Invisalign.

Besides aesthetic concerns, severely misaligned teeth are prone to build-ups of bacterial plaque and are difficult to clean, which increases the risk of tooth decay.

It’s a good idea to get orthodontic treatment before getting veneers, rather than afterwards.

Braces don’t bond as well to veneers as they do to the natural surface of a tooth. This could interfere with the teeth straightening process, resulting in longer treatment time. And there’s always a risk that braces could damage your veneers.

Can Veneers be Applied to Overlapping Teeth?

If you have teeth that overlap, it could be a problem if you want veneers.

It’s difficult for dentists to place a veneer on the surface of a tooth that’s partly covered by another tooth.

In more pronounced cases of overlapping teeth, it’s probably best to get them straightened so your veneers can be applied to the entire front surface of each tooth.

Will Veneers Work on Your Crooked Teeth?

Although misaligned teeth may not be putting your oral health at risk, they can be a source of embarrassment that can damage your self-confidence.

If your teeth are in good condition apart from slight misalignment, veneers can give you the straight smile you’ve always dreamed of, without orthodontic treatment that can seem to go on for ages.

Dental veneer specialists Porcelain Veneers Sydney can help you decide whether veneers will work for you to straighten the appearance of crooked teeth.