Garak-dong Dental Clinic - Which Teeth Cannot Have Laminate Veneers?

Hello. I’m Shin Seung-hwan, the chief director of Yonsei Uline Dental Clinic Garak-dong Branch, near Garak Market Station in Garak-dong, Songpa-gu.

These days, if you watch TV or browse social media, you often see celebrities introducing laminate veneers with neatly aligned, beautiful teeth.

So many people wonder, “If I just shape my teeth a little, could mine look like that too?”

In fact, laminate veneers are not a treatment that can be done for every tooth. Today, I’ll explain the difference between teeth that are suitable for laminate veneers and cases where they are not recommended.

Simply put, laminate veneers work on a principle similar to attaching a “fake fingernail.” Just as you do not trim away the whole fingernail and instead attach an artificial nail on top, a thin ceramic layer is bonded to the outer surface of the tooth to improve its appearance.

At this time, because the tooth is barely reduced, or only minimally shaped, there is less damage to the tooth and the advantage of maintaining a natural appearance.

In the past, when a tooth was damaged, the main treatment was usually a crown. However, crowns require a large amount of tooth reduction to secure sufficient thickness for the material, and sometimes this even led to root canal treatment.

For this reason, in the past there was strong resistance to treatments that involved “shaving down teeth.” Laminate veneers have become an established treatment because they reduce that burden while still producing aesthetically satisfying results.

However, laminate veneers are not suitable for every tooth. If the teeth are evenly aligned, not significantly protruded, and free of cavities, good results can be achieved.

On the other hand, if the teeth are crooked, protrude significantly forward, or are too tightly crowded together, it is difficult to achieve an aesthetic result with laminate veneers alone.

In such cases, a process of slightly reshaping the teeth may be necessary.

Also, if you say, “I don’t want any tooth reduction at all,” and make the veneer too thin, the risk of it chipping or coming off during meals increases.

The ceramic material used for laminate veneers is weaker than zirconia, so when it is bonded to the tooth, the two support each other and gain strength. In other words, reducing a certain amount of tooth structure may actually be necessary for a stable result.

Another point is that if there is tooth decay, a crown may be more appropriate than laminate veneers. Laminate veneers cover only the outside of the tooth, but if the decay has spread deeply inward, that affected area cannot be left in place.

If tooth decay has spread widely, or if there is a large existing restoration, it is safer to treat the tooth with a crown that fully covers it.

In the end, laminate veneers are not simply a treatment that is “attached beautifully.” They are a treatment that must be carefully judged according to the condition of the teeth.

Rather than insisting on laminate veneers no matter what, it is important to consider the tooth alignment, the state of decay, and functional factors comprehensively and choose the most appropriate method.

Therefore, if you are considering laminate veneers, do not look only at the advantage of being a cosmetic treatment with minimal tooth reduction; be sure to check whether it is truly possible and safe for your teeth.