You guys! I am so excited to finally share this blog post with you! So, those of you that follow me on Instagram are probably aware that I recently got porcelain veneers with Dr. Carrie Muzny here in The Woodlands. So today I’m going to give y’all all the deets, plus answer a few questions I’ve gotten on Instagram about my veneers.
So one of the main questions I have been getting is why veneers? Why not Invisilign or just whiten your teeth? Well, there were several things I was wanting to change about my smile. First of all, my teeth were translucent. Because of that, the slightest shadow could make them look dark. I’ve done several whitening treatments over the years but it never really made a huge difference because of the translucency.
The fact that my two front teeth turned in toward each other also always made them look dark. I think dentists refer to this as “the dark triangle” is what I’ve been told. Anyway, I was told that Invisilign wouldn’t really be able to handle that level of straightening, that only traditional braces would be able to fix that. I had braces as a teenager, and I’m not trying to go through that all again.
Another concern I had with my smile was that I had a lot of misshapen teeth. I don’t know if that was from grinding my teeth or how they’ve always been, but it bothered me. I also had a gap between my two front teeth (I would always have people telling me I had pepper in my teeth, but it was just a gap) due to the way my two front teeth were shaped. I had tried bonding in the past, but it always fell off.
So, after speaking with four different dentists, I finally realized that veneers were really the only way to fix all of the things I didn’t like about my smile. Of these dentists, I opted to work with Dr. Carrie Muzny. Not only is she incredibly talented in the realm of cosmetic dentistry, but she is an absolute pleasure to work with and I truly love being her patient. For those of you who are local, her office is in Market Street here in The Woodlands, and it has the most amazing vibe!
Okay, the process…
The first thing I did obviously was a consultation. I met with Dr. Muzny and we talked about why I wanted veneers, how many I may need, cost, and any other random questions I had. We decided that I would do 8 veneers on the top only. I wanted my full smile to be beautiful and doing 8 veneers included all the teeth you would see when I smiled. . My bottom teeth aren’t perfect, but I rarely notice them, so we decided not to do anything on the bottom.
After the initial consultation I gave Dr. Muzny the go-ahead and went back in for an appointment where we took a bunch of before pictures and multiple impressions.
My next appointment was a big one, it was when we put on the temporary veneers. You wear temporary veneers for a couple of weeks before the permanent ones because you want to make sure everything looks the way you want it to, so that if there is anything you want to change (color, shape, etc.) that can be done before they are finished making the permanent veneers.
This appointment took about 4 hours. There was a lot of numbing medication (and I mean A LOT), as they had to file-down my existing teeth that the veneers would attach to. They have to drill them down a little bit for a couple of reasons from what I understand, and this slight amount can vary from patient to patient depending on a few factors – ( how dark your natural teeth are, how crooked they are, and what color you are trying to make them). The first is that you don’t want your teeth to look super “thick” because it can look unnatural if you don’t file away anything. So they drill them back to create some space for the veneer to sit without overpowering your mouth and looking like you have giant beaver teeth. The second is that the veneer can attach a little better if the tooth underneath is “roughed up” a little (not as smooth). This amount, routinely is only about .5 – 1.5 millimeters, but when they are filing them down, it can sound like it is much more!
This is probably the least pleasant part of the entire process. The sound is terrible and there is a little anxiety (at least for me there was), because there’s no going back at this point. I remember being so tired by the end of all of it because I was so worn out from tensing up during it all! Dr. Muzny does offer oral sedation to patients if they want to be much more relaxed, however, you have to have someone drive you to and from the appointment.
During this same appointment Dr. Muzny did some laser gum contouring to perfect the size and shape of my gums, and placed my temporary veneers on for me to take a look at, then made adjustments as needed. We ended up adding a little more length to a couple of my teeth. Once we decided they looked good, she cemented them in my mouth. (I saved this part of the process in my stories too).
To be honest, temporary veneers are a little weird to get used to, since they are connected and you can’t floss between them like you normally would. Basically, my top 8 teeth were splinted together. Eating felt a little strange for sure, and there was part of me that feared they would chip or fall out of my mouth (neither of those ever happened). Typically, you only wear the temps for about 2-3 weeks while the permanent ones are being created in the lab. I ended up having to wear mine about two and half MONTHS thanks to COVID-19. But the good news is, Dr. Muzny did such an amazing job on the temporary veneers, that it really wasn’t ever much of an issue.
Finally after several months of waiting, and dental offices could re-open, I went in for the appointment to get my permanent veneers on. You would think that this appointment would be the big one, but really, this one was pretty easy. Dr. Muzny basically removed my temps (that was the hardest and weirdest part) and then made sure all the permanent ones fit on perfectly before cementing them to my existing teeth. We then spent a little bit of time checking my bite to make sure everything was lining up the way it’s supposed to. It was weird, but also amazing, to be able to feel individual teeth again.
About a week later I went back to make any necessary adjustments regarding my bite. As I mentioned before, we had done a little bit of this at the last appointment, but she wanted me to get used to them being in my mouth before altering anything too much. So I went back in and we made a few minor adjustments (some minimal filing type stuff), and I was good to go!
Here are a few before & afters for you…
Before we get to the Q+A portion of the post, I want to mention something really cool that Dr. Muzny offers through her website. You can actually do a virtual smile consult with her, from the comfort of your home! So basically, you would upload your photo here, tell Dr. Muzny and her team what you are hoping to achieve with your smile, and you would receive your personalized consultation video from Dr. Muzny herself. It’s a great way to kind of get an idea and gather information about what is possible and even pricing before taking that next step~ and this virtual consult is FREE! Many of her out of town patients reach out to her this way first!
Alright, now for the questions you all submitted to me via Instagram…
Q: Why did you get veneers?
A: It was something I have actually talked about since I was a teenager. When I got my braces off there were still things I didn’t like about my smile. As I mentioned above, I consulted with several dentists, and it quickly became apparent that veneers were the only way to achieve exactly what I wanted to for my smile. My issues with my pre-veneers smile were that my teeth were translucent, misshaped, crooked, and I had a gap between my two front teeth that braces could not fix because it was due to the shape of my teeth.
Q: Do they have to shave down your teeth?
A: Yes. They aren’t nubs like many people think, but I also wouldn’t be able to take the veneers off and rock my real teeth if that makes sense. They do some filing to keep the veneers from looking like buck teeth and to help the veneer attach better from what I understand. Dr. Muzny explained this amount depends on the shape and color of your natural teeth, and generally is only about half a millimeter to a millimeter they file back your teeth. She explained she always tries to keep this amount as conservative as possible while also ensuring the final outcome is exactly what the patient is hoping for.
Q: Are you glad you did it?
A: ONE MILLION PERCENT YES. It is the best money I have spent on myself. I love my new smile and it really does give me a huge confidence boost.
Q: Did you do top and bottom veneers? Was it uncomfortable?
A: I only did 8 on the top, so none on the bottom. It was a little uncomfortable during the appointment where we put on the temps, but overall not too bad. Honestly, I was so numb that the sound bothered me the most. But they gave me some noise cancelling headphones that helped a TON, and I did not do any of the sedation options they offer either.
Q: If someone only got upper veneers would the misalignment on the bottom teeth eventually chip them?
A: They check your bite so thoroughly once the veneers are on in an effort to avoid something like that happening. Dr. Muzny explained the KEY to making sure chipping and breaking doesn’t happen is in designing the shape and the bite with the veneers from the beginning. Sometimes the bottom teeth can be slightly polished to allow for a more even bite for the upper veneers. Also, when you are in your temporaries, this also allows time to make sure the bite is very even before the final porcelain veneers go on.
Q: Do they fall off easily? Would you recommend it?
A: No, they do not fall off easily. I have ZERO eating restrictions. And yes, I would recommend. But I would also recommend doing your research on your dentist prior to making a decision. I went with Dr. Muzny specifically because she has a great reputation for this kind of dental work. Also, always make sure you select a dentist that profiles their before and after cases on their website so you know they have a lot of experience in cosmetic procedures. Dr. Muzny has done a lot of extra training in cosmetic procedures specifically, and is the main area of dentistry she consults with patients for in her practice.
Q: Can you bite into hard things? Do they last forever?
A: I can bite into hard things, but I usually don’t just because I don’t usually do that anyway because I don’t like the way it feels (even when I had my original teeth). And yes, they can last forever. However, how long they last does depend on the patient – (if they are more prone to grinding their teeth or if they don’t go to the dentist regularly to have them checked and cleaned like you would your natural teeth). Dr. Muzny does have patients go to her to replace older existing veneers they had placed years ago because they don’t like the color anymore and want them whiter or want a better shape or design. She also explained the materials that are used today are better than they were even 10 years ago. Occasionally there might need to be a repair or something done, but that is rare.
Q: Did she guarantee them for a certain amount of time if something happens?
A: Dr. Muzny does warranty her work up to 5 years and can replace a veneer easily if it was to break. She does recommend patients sleep in a protective night guard at night after getting new veneers to help prevent patients from clenching down hard on them, which helps protect the porcelain just like it protects our natural tooth enamel. They made one for me after we made sure my bite felt even, and to be honest (as a grinder) I can’t believe I didn’t get a night guard even before my veneers.
Q: Did your gum line move up?
A: Yes. She did a little bit of gum contouring when she was preparing the teeth for the veneers to make everything look really clean and even. Dr. Muzny explained often patients gumlines are not symmetrical, which can make a big difference in balancing the new smile. This procedure is called a gingivectomy and she often does at least some of this for her smile makeovers with a diode laser. I didn’t feel anything when it was being done either.
Q: What is the cost?
A: I got quotes from 4 different dentists ranging anywhere from $12,000 to $20,000 for 8 upper veneers. My work with Dr. Muzny cost $15,000. (This also included the laser gum contouring, all x-rays, and custom wax-up models used to make my temporaries.) It was really important to me to go with a dentist who I felt really understood what I was trying to achieve, and Dr. Muzny was my favorite by far that I spoke with.
Q: Were you nervous you wouldn’t like them?
A: I was nervous/excited just to see what they would look like, but I can’t say that I was ever truly afraid I wouldn’t like them. If you check out Dr. Muzny’s Instagram (@carriemuznydds) and website you’ll see why! Also, Dr. Muzny pre-designs your temporaries to be a very close replica of your final veneers, so you are able to make sure they are the exact shape and length you like BEFORE you are stuck with the final veneers. As I mentioned, we even further customized my temporaries to make my two front teeth slightly longer so this is a very individualized process.
Q: What if you get a cavity or need a filling, root canal, etc. Does it affect the veneer?
A: Dr. Muzny explained you are no more prone to get a cavity around a veneer than you would be with a natural tooth, and you brush and floss them just like you normally would. She explained if someone was very prone to getting cavities in general due to their diet or poor oral hygiene, then sometimes a filling can be done around the veneer, or the veneer may need to be replaced. A root canal can be completed through the back of the veneer if that was ever needed, and the veneer does not have to be replaced.
Q: Did it make your teeth sensitive?
A: It did at first, but after a few days it subsided. And it was never unbearable. I still occasionally will have periods with sensitivity, but honestly my teeth were like that before too. Dr. Muzny said for patients who have always had a lot of sensitivity, it prevents them from being able to bleach their teeth very well, so veneers are the only way they can really get them the color they want permanently.
xo, Loren
