I had a set of porcelain veneers done. They look good and I love the shine and color. I was pleased when he put them on. As I was driving home, I couldn’t stop running my tongue over them. While doing that I noticed a divot or sort of rough patch on one of the front teeth. I called my dentist and he said to come right back and he’d look at it. He decided to repair it right there using some kind of “sanding” tool. I”m sure that’s not the right word. It felt smooth after that. I thought I was good to go. This morning, I noticed that tooth looks duller than the rest. It doesn’t have the same shine which causes them to not match. Is this normal? Should I go back? I paid a lot of money for this and don’t want to always be thinking about that one tooth.
Kira
Dear Kira,
Yes, this is a problem. It sounds to me like the dentist removed the glaze from your porcelain veneers in his effort to get rid of the rough patch. The glaze is what gives the veneer its shine and protects it and making it stain resistant.
Without him repairing or replacing this porcelain veneer it will quickly begin to change colors, picking up stains at a rapid rate.
When the Glaze is Damaged on Porcelain Veneers
Some people think the solution is to whiten the veneer. What they don’t realize is that even professional teeth whitening will only work on natural tooth structure. It won’t do anything to dental work. Your dentist has two choices: Repair or Replace.
To repair it, he’d need to know the procedure and have the tools for a diamond polishing and restoration. Many cosmetic dentists prefer using Brassler’s diamond polishing. If he doesn’t already know it and have the tools, you may not want him to “practice” on yours. In that case, I’d just ask for a replacement.
The hard work is all done for that. He just has to get you another veneer from the lab using the instructions he gave them when he designed your smile. He should absorb this cost because he’s the one who destroyed the veneer.
It’s important you do this sooner rather than later. You don’t want him to have an excuse to say you caused the damage. In fact, I’d call him now.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.