Porcelain Veneers for Tooth Gaps - Woodinville, WA

If you have gaps between your teeth, you should know that they can cause cosmetic issues as well as potential problems with your dental health and wellness. There are many ways to treat tooth gaps available at Signature Smiles. One of these options involves the use of porcelain veneers.

Dr. Cristin Dowd and Dr. Ken D. Wu would like to consider how porcelain veneers can help close cosmetic gaps and enhance smiles in the process. They can go over this process in more detail when you visit their dental care center in Woodinville, WA.

Why Tooth Gaps Are Such an Issue

On the aesthetic side of things, tooth gaps can be glaring. They can make you feel self-conscious when you’re smiling, speaking, or laughing, even around people you have known for many years. If you have a career that involves a lot of client interaction, a tooth gap could be impacting your performance.

As far as your dental health goes, tooth gaps can affect the alignment of your bite. Uneven distribution of pressure along your teeth can place strain on your jaw joint, leading to an eventual TMJ disorder. Misalignment can also contribute to teeth grinding (bruxism) at night, which can wear your teeth and gums down.

How Porcelain Veneers Work

Porcelain veneers are thin shells of dental ceramic that fit over your front teeth. They effectively mask flaws from view, allowing you to smile with total confidence. They look natural, and the material is carefully color-matched to your natural teeth so they blend in with the rest of your smile.

Good Candidates for Porcelain Veneers

Ideal candidates for porcelain veneers are people who suffer from minor tooth gaps that are predominantly cosmetic in nature. The patient should be in good overall dental health otherwise and have generally good tooth alignment.

While porcelain veneers can make your teeth look straighter, they are not the same as orthodontic treatment for crooked teeth and spacing problems. This is an important distinction we make at our Woodinville dental care center. More serious malocclusion will need to be treated through other means.

The Results of Porcelain Veneers Treatment

Thanks to porcelain veneers, a person’s smile can look perfectly aligned and spaced. Gaps are closed in a natural way, without crowding or closure of a natural narrow gap. Since porcelain veneers are semi-translucent, they blend in seamlessly with your natural teeth. They provide dramatic results even though they make subtle adjustments that are just millimeters in size.

Other Treatment Options for Gapped Teeth

If you suffer from serious malocclusion that affects dental alignment and health, orthodontic care would be a better option for your needs. This will help close tooth gaps and ensure your teeth are straight. Porcelain veneers could be used at the end of orthodontic care to help improve the cosmetic outcomes of that treatment.

During the consultation process, we can assess your situation and determine the most ideal treatment to improve the appearance of your smile and overall dental wellness.

Contact Signature Smiles

For more information about porcelain veneers and how they can help you have a beautiful smile, be sure to contact our cosmetic and restorative dentists. You can reach our Woodinville practice by phone at (425) 489-1177.