My daughter had some porcelain veneers made. Shortly afterward, she had a bit of an accident and one of them was slightly chipped. Her dentist shaved the tooth to even it out and then shaved the one next to it to be level with the others. Now the one she shaved down to match the injured one is turning blue. Do you know what this is? My daughter is worried it is going to fall off. If it does, would a dentist consider it a dental emergency? She’s about to come home for Christmas. Can we get whatever is going on fixed here?
Patricia
Dear Patricia,
It would be hard to tell exactly what is going on without examining her or having a picture but, based on what you’ve described, it sounds like she may have a leaky veneer.
This is when there is not a great bond between the porcelain veneer and the tooth. Because of that, things are “leaking” into the area where the bonding is.
You have a couple of options. She can wait until it falls off or she can have it ground off and then replaced. If it falls off, then it is a simple matter of cleaning the area and re-bonding the porcelain veneer. While some dentists would not consider this a dental emergency, most cosmetic dentists understand that there are aesthetic emergencies and would get her in right away.
If you have it removed, then you would have to have a new porcelain veneer made and then bond it back on. Neither is right or wrong. Certainly taking it off will be more expensive. However, some people find peace of mind and not worrying about the veneer falling out all the time worth the extra cost. Others, do not have the ability to just get another veneer. You’ll have to weigh the pros and cons for your family’s particular situation.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Cosmetic Dentist Dr. William Becker.