Veneers are an incredibly popular cosmetic dental treatment, and for good reason. When applied by an experienced cosmetic dentist, veneers are reliable and long lasting and can conceal a great number of aesthetic issues, leaving you with nothing but your dream smile.
However, there are some situations where you may not be eligible for veneers. In these cases, there are a few different treatment options that can be used to give you a smile that you can walk away happy with, such as dental implants or dentures.
Can you get veneers with missing teeth?
In short, no. Veneers are not possible for patients with missing teeth because the gaps between the remaining teeth will be too big.
Veneers are made of a very thin ceramic, as is the case with porcelain veneers, or a composite material and need to be securely fitted to the outer surface of a tooth in order to be a viable treatment option. If there is nothing for the veneer to be fitted to, then a different treatment such as an implant will need to be used.
On the other hand, there are some cases where missing teeth or teeth gaps can be treated using veneers. For example, missing lateral incisor veneers are usually tolerable because the gaps between the canines and the incisors are often small and so can therefore be covered through the use of a larger veneer on either side.
Gaps in front teeth are another example of a potential veneer treatment, provided that the gaps are not too big as this could result in the front teeth appearing too big.
Veneers vs dentures
Dentures are detachable false teeth and can either come individually or as a full set. If you have multiple missing teeth and do not qualify for veneers, then you may think that dentures are the only treatment option for you.
In reality, dental implants will be a much better solution if you are eligible. These are permanent, and much more reliable than dentures that are frequently poorly fitted and can cause discomfort.
With an ‘All on 4’ treatment, we can give you a full mouth of upper or lower teeth with just 4-6 implants needing to be fixed into the gum.
The difference between veneers and implants
Veneers are bonded to the outer surface of a tooth that remains in the mouth. Dental implants involve screwing a fixture, either ceramic or metal, into your jawbone which an artificial tooth is then fitted to.
Dental implants are suitable for individuals with missing teeth who have an eligible amount of healthy bone content in their jawbone and gum tissue with no issues.
Each treatment has their own place, and if you can’t have veneers but still have tooth content present then it can be possible to remove your teeth to replace them with dental implants. Your cosmetic dentist will be able to advise on the best course of action for you after a consultation.
Clip on veneers for missing teeth
The other option that people may have heard of for missing teeth is faux teeth veneers, or clip on veneers.
These are temporary solutions similar to dentures yet you keep your existing teeth. We strongly prefer treating with porcelain veneers as opposed to clip on veneers as they are more reliable and produce much better results.
For the price of a good set of clip on veneers that are professionally moulded to your teeth rather than generic moulds, you would be much better suited to receiving actual cosmetic dental treatments that give you permanent solutions to your issues with your smile such as fixing your crooked smile or whitening your teeth.
FAQs
Are veneers false teeth?
No, veneers are not the same as false teeth. Veneers are thin pieces of ceramic or composite that are bonded to the outer surface of existing teeth to improve their appearance.
Do they remove your teeth for veneers?
No, your cosmetic dentist should not remove your teeth for veneers. Veneers cover any undesirable cosmetic issues with an existing tooth while retaining its structural integrity.
If your tooth is removed then the resulting gap will likely be far too big for a veneer to conceal it and you will need an alternative treatment method to cover your gap instead.
Can you get veneers with no teeth?
No, veneers need to be applied to existing teeth for them to work.
Some small gaps may be concealed by using larger veneers on either side to compensate for it, but if there are multiple missing teeth then veneers will not be an option.
What are my options for missing canine replacement?
A dental implant will likely be your best long-term option to replace your missing canine tooth. An implant can successfully fill a full tooth sized gap and improve the overall aesthetics of your smile while being strong enough to perform equivalently to a natural tooth.