Spot the composite veneer: Dr Nik

Composite veneer is a layer of composite resin material placed on the surface of a tooth to shape the tooth into a better shape or to mask surface imperfection and mild malalignment.

Some of my patients were sceptical when I proposed composite veneer treatment to them. Will it look nice? Will it look natural? Does the colour matches with the rest of the teeth?….They were doubtful and I didn’t blame them. It’s a big decision to make and a bit scary too, not knowing what it will look like at the end of the day.

But..let me tell you a secret. We as dentists are as nervous as you are. It’s a big responsibility to create and give someone the smile that they want. If your dream smile is achievable with veneers, we will definitely do our very best to create it but if not, we will strongly advise other treatment options to you.

I like to share my recent case with you. This is a case of just one composite veneer done on one of the upper teeth and this photo was taken after the treatment.

Can  you spot a composite veneer in this photo?

This young lady needed just one composite veneer on an unusual pointed shape tooth that definitely look different from it’s counterpart. The rest of the teeth are normal and she has a well align teeth.  Doing just one composite veneer is very challenging. We need to carefully choose composite colours so that it really blends in well with the rest of the teeth and is not noticeable. If the colour is off , it will definitely stood out since it’s the only one with the composite veneer.

So, how did she look like before the treatment?

This is her photo before the treatment. It’s her upper right lateral incisor. As you can see, it is a barrel pointed shape tooth that we call peg shape lateral. By doing a composite veneer on this one tooth, I reshaped the tooth to mimic it’s counterpart and I used several composite resin colours to match it with her other teeth.

I think I did quite a good job here , didn’t I?

nik@story.drfauziah.com