Porcelain Veneers: Stories

On average I have heard to expect 10-20 years from veneers, but you can click here to see one of our Q&A's that deals with this specific topic.

It's been a year since the permanent veneers have been on. They do feel like real teeth now, however, there IS that awareness and feeling that you shouldn't bite into anything too hard, like an apple. Even hamburgers and sandwiches give me hesitation and I'm careful. I still would not recommend it unless you are completely aware that your real teeth are shaved down to nubs. This was not explained to me before the procedure. I understood that they needed to be sanded in order for the cement to hold more securely, which made sense to me. I didn't know my real teeth would be permanently damaged. I am hoping these veneers last as long as my real teeth would. Also, they are not the shape I thought they would be. I understood that I would have a chance to see the fit and the look before committing to them. This was not really true. I mean, once your mold is made and sent to be made into veneers, you don't really get to keep ordering new veneers. And you don't want to wait so long either for the new order because the meantime is painful! If I would have received the ideal shape and size teeth I wanted, perhaps I would be more satisfied now. But as it is, I am stuck with these until they fall off. I didn't realize I could have just gotten braces to space my teeth a little closer and not had so much damage done. That was all I really wanted. After the veneers were put on, the dentist used a mini-saw between my teeth to carve out the cement which prevented me from flossing. It carved up through my gums, and this was the space that I wanted to avoid in the first place of getting my veneers! I wanted to avoid gaps between my teeth and gums! This is the whole reason for my investment and ordeal.

It's really unfortunate that other treatment options (braces) weren't presented to you. I'm sorry to hear you aren't fully satisfied with your results.

You may already know this, but if/when you need to have the veneers replaced talk to the dentist about the lab they use, and ask to see picture of patients who had their veneers done by that dentist using that specific lab. The lab has a lot to do with how nice the veneers come out.