PORCELAIN
VENEERS
Good
Veneers vs Bad Veneers
1. How long will veneers last?
Porcelain veneers were first being
used as a cosmetic restoration in the 1980's. Several factors
can affect the longevity of veneers, such as: the effectiveness
of the bond to the tooth, the patient's bite, and inappropriate
use of one's teeth.
Under ideal circumstances veneers
can last a long time. I personally have patients who still
have veneers in good condition since 1989. With the advances
made in dental adhesives, very tenacious bonding of porcelain
to tooth structure has been achieved.
Realistically speaking on average,(taking
into account all levels of technical ability) it is not
unreasonable for one to expect to replace some or all veneers
after ten year period. Done properly, I personally feel
they can last much longer.
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2 .My veneers feel and look
too thick. Is that normal?
Porcelain veneers do not need to
nor should they feel thick if made properly. Either the
dentist did not reduce the tooth enough to allow room for
porcelain or the dental lab made them too thick. Usually
it is because there was poor planning and the tooth was
not reduced enough. Working with a good lab and doing a
diagnostic wax-up of the proposed veneers will help to achieve
a more ideal outcome.
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3. I had veneers done recently
by a dentist and they look awful. How difficult is it to
have them re-done?
Some of the more challenging cases
which I have had were fixing someone else's mistakes. Unfortunately,
there are dentists who do not have the skill level to treat
simple or moderate to advanced veneer cases and consequently
end up with less than acceptable results. To answer your
question, yes. Old veneers can removed, but is very tedious
if they were bonded correctly. The question is how well
were the teeth prepared prior having the veneers bonded?
I have seen cases where an excessive amount of tooth structure
was removed and ultimately can compromise the longevity
of the teeth and veneers. Make sure the dentist that you
are using can show you ample photos of cases he has done.
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4. I have veneers that have
fallen off, is that normal?
No. If teeth are properly prepared
and the veneers have been correctly bonded, they should
not fall of as long as there are no problems related to
your bite. Often times it is usually a failure of improper
bonding. Bonding porcelain to teeth is a technically sensitive
procedure. If the surfaces are not properly treated and
free of contaminants such as oil, water or saliva, there
will be a bond failure.
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5. I have discoloration at
the margins of my veneers where they meet the tooth and
I can see my old tooth color between my teeth. Is there
anything I can do?
It sounds like the veneers were
not bonded correctly. Either you have resin cement that
has discolored or there is a gap and stains are getting
into the margin. The fact that you can see the color of
your original tooth probably means that the tooth was not
reduced properly so that the porcelain would cover that
part of the tooth.
COSMETIC DENTISTRY - PORCELAIN VENEERS
