Ninety percent of Australians seek dental appointments because they’re not happy with their smile. In recent years there’s been a trend towards porcelain veneers, but a leading Melbourne dental surgeon warns removing too much natural tooth can set patients up for more pain down the track.

Dr Yvonne King from Cosmetic & Laser Dentistry Centre in Melbourne was the first Australian dentist to get a Masters Degree in Aesthetic Dentistry from the prestigious King’s College in London and says that while a beautiful, straight and white smile is always the goal of dental surgery, if you’re not careful it can come at a hefty price.

“In order to have veneers placed, if the teeth are not aligned properly and there are teeth that ’stick out’’’, they need to be reduced/cut back, to achieve a nice straight smile.” said Dr King.

“Even if the teeth are straight, it requires much less skill on the part of the dentist to remove lots of tooth structure and have the veneers constructed. It is also easier for the dental ceramist to construct veneer if he has lots of space to work with.”

“It requires much more skill and careful planning and designing in order to create a smile that preserves as much tooth structure as possible.” Dr King added.

The top photo example is of a heavily prepped case where a lot of the original tooth structure was removed to place Porcelain Veneers.
The bottom example has also been prepped, but gas retained the strength and integrity of the original teeth.

Generally, the more tooth structure is removed, the closer to the dental nerve you get and the greater the chance of this tooth needing further and more complex intervention (like a root canal treatment) in the future.

Teeth need to last for the person’s life span and if we start removing lots of tooth structure very early on, the greater the chances of that tooth entering a death spiral ending with the potential loss of the tooth.

“Porcelain veneers are a great option and produce amazing results. However, it’s so important to find the right dentist, one that will value the structural health of your teeth and plan your smile, while keeping in mind that your teeth need to be around for as long as you are.” said Dr King.

“It is pivotal to make sure the longevity of structural integrity of your teeth is not being compromised in any aesthetic procedure. If you are not mindful of tooth preservation and minimal preparation, it can lead to painful, expensive and invasive procedures to rectify it in the future,” said Dr King.

“When going down the porcelain veneers path, get a second or even third opinion, ask questions and put time into your research.”