Receding gums do not rule out veneers, but they change the sequence considerably, and treating them as a cosmetic obstacle rather than a biological one is how these cases go wrong.
Why the gum has to be dealt with first
Veneers are made to a margin. If the gum moves after they are bonded, that margin becomes visible, and the tooth appears to have a line across it.
Gum that is actively receding is still moving. Restoring onto it means designing to a position that will not be there in two years.
Establishing whether it is stable or progressing
This requires records over time, not a single look. Photographs and measurements at intervals, comparing like with like. Recession that has been unchanged for years is a different proposition from recession that is advancing.
The cause matters more than the amount. Aggressive brushing, a thin gum biotype, a tooth sitting outside the bone, or an old restoration invading the gum all need addressing before anything is built on top.
Where grafting comes in
Connective tissue grafting can restore lost tissue with good predictability where the gum between the teeth is intact. Where that interdental tissue has been lost, full coverage is not achievable and this must be said in advance.
Grafting before veneers frequently means a better and more conservative final result, because the restoration does not have to compensate for exposed root.
The honest constraint
Some recession cannot be fully covered. In those cases the design accommodates it rather than pretending otherwise, and the result is still good. What produces disappointment is discovering this after the veneers are made.
Sequence it properly: stabilise the cause, graft if indicated, allow healing, then restore. Reversing that order is the most common reason these cases need redoing.
To determine whether this procedure is indicated in your particular case, we invite you to request a clinical assessment.
