Snap on Smile

What is the difference between veneers and snap-on smile? Can you eat with snap on smile or this something that comes in and out and is temporary? My top 4 front teeth are the ones that need a makeover, what would be a better option for that since I don't feel that i need an entire smile makeover?

julie January 7, 2019

Questions Answered by Leading Local Doctors

Eric Broberg, DDS
512.645.1453, Austin, Dentistry
Hi Julie, Thank you for your questions. A snap-on smile is a removable option to restore the teeth and makeover the smile. It essentially snaps on to the existing teeth throughout the day, and then it comes out at night. It’s a good option for a quick, temporary fix, but it is limited in both function and longevity. Veneers are thin shells of porcelain that are permanently bonded to the teeth. They can makeover the size, shape, color, etc. of the teeth, and since they are bonded on, they don’t come in and out. You can eat, smile, and speak normally, and they last for years, possibly decades. As far as restoring your front 4 teeth versus all your teeth, that is completely up to you and depends on your situation and cosmetic expectations. We often do cases that are only 2-4 veneers, but we also do larger 10 veneer cases. The best bet would be to show your dentist some photographs with smiles that you like so he or she can see what it is you’re trying to accomplish. Your dentist can also take some cosmetic photographs and then discuss all available options with you before moving forward with any final plans. I hope this information helps! Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you, Dr. Broberg
Griffin Cole, DDS
512.472.3565, Austin, Dentistry
Veneers are "permanently" bonded to your teeth and can look incredibly natural. Very conservative preparations are done to your teeth and the veneer are bonded in place usually about 3-4 weeks later. Snap-on smile, on the other hand, just fits over your natural teeth. It's a lot like what actors wear when playing a character with a certain smile (ie - like the actor who plays Freddie Mercury in the movie Bohemian Rhapsody). You can try (operative word) to eat with a Snap-on smile, but it is usually difficult and a bit awkward. Snap-on smiles are designed to be short-term solutions whereas veneers are long-term and much more natural looking.
Griffin Cole DDS NMD MIAOMT
Dora Nemeth, DDS
512.327.6947, Austin, Dentistry
Hi Julie, A snap-on smile is a temporary solution to hide tooth chips, gaps and discolorations. It gives the patients an idea what their teeth could look like if they were fixed permanently with crowns or veneers. When the snap-on device is in the mouth, you are limited to a softer diet, since it is made out of acrylic, which is a softer temporary material, and you are not able to floss the teeth because they will be connected. It is one piece that snaps on and off. You are not supposed to sleep in it. Veneers are permanent, conservative porcelain coverage for your teeth that are individually bonded onto your teeth. So you can eat normally and floss normally and sleep with them. Before the veneers are bonded on, you wear a temporary “snap-on” smile to give you an idea of what the permanenent restorations will look like. However, you don’t take those on and off. You wear them consistently for about 3 weeks. Please let me know if you need any more information. Dr. Dora Nemeth