How Long Do Porcelain Veneers and Crowns Last?

Porcelain veneers may not be your only choice.  If you like the shape of your teeth and the only thing to correct is color, ask about Kor Deep Bleaching.  We have had good results with teeth that are darker. If you achieve the color you desire, their is minimal upkeep and you will not have to have veneers replaced every 10 years!

To say that they WILL need to be replaced every 10 years is not accurate. I have replaced veneers that were 30 years old and only being replaced to upgrade the color (there was nothing wrong with them).
I would agree, the antibiotic stains are handled best with the porcelain veneers. I would say that if this dentist only gets 10 years out of their work, perhaps another office would be worth looking into.

So I tell my patients that "everything man made if bound to fail", think about it, everything that's man made if it last over 10 years, then I'd say you got your money's worth.  You spend $20,000 on a car, after 10 years it's kind of beat, not counting all the maintenance cost you've put in in those 10 years.  Same thing with veneers and crowns.  You the patient has a huge role in maintain the longevity of your veneers investment as well.  You can't just have them put on and go MIA on us for 3-4 years.  As much as we all like to believe our own work will last for a life time, the honest truth is all things man made is bound to fail.  With that said, I've seen my patient with veneers or crowns lasted well over 10+ years.  Find a reputable dentist that has wealth experience in veneers, that will be your first insurance that your investment will last longer.   

There are other options to veneers if you really are satisfied with the colour of your teeth. 
Some very specialist whitening lasers, in particular the green KTP laser, directly breaks down the pigment molecules and can go through a significant distance of your tooth. 
Similarly standard tooth whitening can move you teeth a long way to being largely stain free, but with antibiotic stains you could be looking at up to 12 months nightly whetting gel placement. This sounds extreme, but when your teeth have released the stain, they will not go back to how they look now, they will only darken in the standard way that everyone else's teeth discolour. 
Investigate and check these options before going down the road of a treatment just because of tooth colour. Well shaped teeth are an asset and should not be changed without considering all the possible options. 
Good luck with your search.

Kind regards
Thomas Dey, BDS, MSc

I would have to agree that on the average, porcelain veneers last about 10 years.  I have done some that are fine after 20 years, and often the reason for replacing them is cosmetic.  Sometimes the gum recedes and you can see a darker root surface above the veneer close to the gumline.  Other times the veneers lose their vitality and become a bit dull from years of coffee, red wine and other things that can stain them over the long run. (Although for the most part, high quality porcelain veneers are very stain resistant, even more so than your natural tooth.





Dr.Steven Goldy