Case study: closing a central gap without veneers
A patient who had been quoted eight veneers elsewhere, treated instead with alignment and two hours of bonding.
27 August 2026 · 4 min read · Dr Sundeep Solanki
The concern
A midline gap of around three millimetres, present since childhood, with slight crowding of the lower teeth. The patient wanted it closed but was uneasy about having healthy teeth prepared.
Why veneers were not the first option
Closing a gap of that size with porcelain alone means widening the two central teeth considerably, which reads as unnaturally broad, or spreading the width across more teeth — hence the quote for eight. Both require irreversible preparation of enamel that was entirely healthy.
What we did
- Aligners over seven months to close most of the space and correct the lower crowding
- Home whitening once the teeth were in position
- Edge bonding on the two central incisors to finish the shape and close the residual space
- Fixed and removable retainers to hold the result
The outcome
The gap is closed, the teeth are their own, and no enamel was removed. The maintenance is a nightly retainer and ordinary hygiene visits.
Details anonymised; outcomes vary between patients.
This article is general information, not personal dental advice. Treatment suitability is assessed individually at consultation.