Porcelain veneers before & after photos
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Porcelain Veneers Cost $8,300 average cost

Painful Effects of the Veneer Procedure

9 posts
Comments (5)
Updated 8 Jun 2009
Posted 6 Jun 2009
Not Worth It
Spent: $3,200 in Glendale, California

My dentist failed to explain to me the life-altering affect of getting veneers. Right before the procedure, he told me he needed to shave off the bottom of my 4 teeth so that the veneers cement-on stronger.

I didn't realize the painful after-effects. Difficulty chewing. Pain day and night. A temporary plastic film over them, difficulty talking. A huge change in eating habits: no chips, pretzels, bacon, hamburgers, sandwiches, pizza, eggrolls, ice cream, hot/cold drinks, etc. I can't enjoy food now!

I was told about the eating change on my way out the door. I had no idea my teeth would be so sensitive! My job requires public speaking and it's difficult to adjust to the shaved teeth length (affecting speech) and plastic film which makes my mouth feel dry. My veneers aren't even on yet, but I fear the same effects; having to be extra sensitive because of the high cost per tooth ($800 each), with no guarantee on the veneers' life-span! I thought veneers were permanent and it was not explained to me how sensitive they could be until on my way out from the shaving/molding procedure!

This review is the subjective opinion of a RealSelf member and not of RealSelf, Inc.

My Doctor: Name not provided

Not enough explanation about the life-long effects, nor temporary effects BEFORE the procedure.
Vote: 8 members found this review helpful

Comments (5)

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KGARCIA5 (1 post) 1 Feb 2010
When you still have temporary's in your teeth will be very sensitive and they arent cemented yet so air can still get to your shaved down teeth as well as food and fluid which can be painful. However once your veneers are cemented on those problems wont be there.You will feel that you need to be more careful an steer away from biting into anything hard.. ie candy apples.. hope this helps.
LA woman (9 posts) 28 Jul 2011
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.
Megan P (Community Manager - 1,296 posts) 28 Jul 2011

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.

LA woman (9 posts) 30 Jul 2011
Megan, I did not know about asking for pictures between the lab and the dentist. Thanks. I hope I do not have to get this done again. Though I am not sure how long veneers will actually last.
Megan P (Community Manager - 1,296 posts) 1 Aug 2011

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.


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