My dentist cut away half of my tooth. I thought a tooth only required shaving for a veneer?

Q. Is it normal for a dentist to have basically cut a tooth half-off horizontally to prep it for a veneer? I thought it would be shaved from the front to make space for the veneer, but not cut in half. Doesn’t it make sense to leave more natural tooth for the veneer to grasp on to?,
A. Hello, Thank you for your enquiry. Was it a veneer or a crown that was placed? As a crown would require the natural tooth to be made into an almost “stub-like” look for the crown to fit over the tooth. Veneers on the otherhand are made to fit on the front of the tooth. When you are dealing with the biology of a tooth it is difficult to explain what is “normal” or not as all cases are individual. Dentists prefer to be conservative and only “shave” down what is neccesary to make space and also make room for the veneer in the bite. In times there may be previous filling material which requires removing or decay to be removed. If you are worried about your case speak to your dentist and he / she will be able to explain the reasoning as to why so much of your tooth was “shaved” away.
Dr Mark Hughes Harley Street Dental Studio 52 Harley Street, London W1G 9PY Web: www.harleystreetdentalstudio.com Tel: 020 7636 5981 View My Profile Dr Hughes
March 23rd, 2013 at 08:47 PM
vicki white Says :

my dentist just cut my teeth while under tratment for invisalign . six in total . i have sensitivity now . i didnt want them filed / polished . he just did it . is he liable .

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