Porcelain Veneers: Stories

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While They Are Beautiful - They Are Easy to Break - Arlington, VA

My teeth are very nice. They look natural and the...

  • 4 May 2011

My teeth are very nice. They look natural and the color is nice etc. The process is really not bad at all - a little Novocaine is needed. It is not a short process by any means but my new dentist has his own machine in his office which cuts out waiting for the lab to send them back.

I say new dentist because he has spent the last few years fixing the veneers I got about 8 years ago that at this point that have broken at least 2 or more times each. Veneers are not as strong as some people claim they will be. I cannot bite down on an apple or eat corn on the cob - not a big deal to have nice teeth but you never know what can cause an issue. I regret doing it.

My teeth were fine but I let myself get talked into the veneers to fix something that really could have been fixed nicely other ways. Also remember - your teeth may still be yours underneath - but they are a much smaller version so you can never go without fixing your veneers if you want to have a normal smile. They are beautiful but there are risks and they are higher maintenance in my opinion than they should have to be. .

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My new dentist is terrific and has fixed the previous mess - the old dentist - I wouldn't send my worst enemy to him - Dr. G is wonderful.

Comments (18)

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Lawrence Singer, DMD 31 Dec 2011
You are welcome. In looking for a doctor to complete your veneers, make sure that you see plenty of before and after photos that show gumlines. Have him/her review tougher cases and how they overcame difficult parameters with orthodontics and or aesthetic clown lengthening to achieve and ideal result. If you see some of the before and afters on my site (dcsmiles.com) they illustrate difficulties and how they were overcome.
View answers from Lawrence Singer, DMD
Christine2x2 1 Nov 2011
My original veneers were done by a past head of the now defunct Georgetown Dental school. Clearly not done in Tijuana. Cost me a fortune the first time around.
Megan P (Community Manager) 1 Nov 2011

How disappointing to have paid a lot & still not have them work out for you. I know you mentioned before that you thought the problem was possibly due to your bite. Did your new dentist do something to correct your bite before putting your replacement veneers on, or was he able to remedy the problem just by placing the veneers differently?

Christine2x2 14 Dec 2011
My new dentist has a machine that takes pictures via computer and models them to fit properly with your existing teeth. That has made a major difference.
Lawrence Singer, DMD 14 Dec 2011
As you now G-town dental closed in 89. The veneer technology they and labs they may have been using are far inferior to what is available today. You may have had cemented veneers made of the wrong type of porcelain. Modern veneers are made of veneer porcelain. I'd like to encourage everybody - veneers should last. I guarantee my work. Ask your dentist what his policy is.
View answers from Lawrence Singer, DMD
Lawrence Singer, DMD 14 Dec 2011
The image capturing machine is not as accurate as the better impression materials. I have used one and was disappointed with the results. Well executed traditional impressions with stone models is still more accurate. Soon digital and optical will take over, but we are not there yet.
View answers from Lawrence Singer, DMD
Megan P (Community Manager) 14 Dec 2011

Very good information - as a consumer its always hard to know when the new technology is the best way to go, or if the tried & true method is still best. Thanks for giving us the inside scoop!

Lawrence Singer, DMD 28 Oct 2011
Veneers done properly should not have problems and last a long time. Unfortunately, it is often you get waht you pay for. Better dentists who have more training and better labs and materials are more expensive. You can get veneers in TIjuana Mexico for a few hundred dollars - they look like chicklets and are very vulnerable to failure. I recently did a consultation for a gal who had teeth done in South America and they were breaking. She thought she had saved a bundle. But really the whole investment was a waste - they all needed to be redone
View answers from Lawrence Singer, DMD
Megan P (Community Manager) 28 Oct 2011

Thanks for jumping on & sharing that information Dr. Singer - always great to hear a dentist's perspective!

How unfortunate for your patient who has to have all her veneers redone. Each time veneers are redone I'm assuming a bit more of the natural tooth structure has to be removed, is that correct?

Lawrence Singer, DMD 14 Dec 2011
Not necessarily. If additional tooth structure is removed it may be totally insignificant. For example .01mm. So that shouldn't be a worry with a good clinician.
View answers from Lawrence Singer, DMD
fox 34 29 Dec 2011
what do u think about doing my veneers in nyu school of dentists?
Megan P (Community Manager) 12 Jul 2011

I can definitely see how bite issues could play into how well veneers hold up, but I too would hope the dentist would take that into account before placing them.

It seems people have better & longer lasting results from porcelain veneers, as opposed to Lumineers. Do either of you happen to know what kind of veneers were used?

lonestargirl 6 Jul 2011
You're right, it could be a bite issue too. An excellent cosmetic dentist will first assess the bite and recommend corrections prior to cosmetic services like veneers, because he or she knows that a bad bite (malocclusion) may compromise the cosmetic work you've have done. Although correcting bite problems can add cost and time to the process, it protects your investment in cosmetic dentistry and can help you avoid future problems that could lead to reconstructive dentistry and even more cost down the road.
Christine2x2 30 Jun 2011
I work with a woman who also recently got veneers and she's already lost 3 of them. I think my issue is more so an issue with my bite.
Lawrence Singer, DMD 14 Dec 2011
It is not reasonable to have veneers placed and have them pop off so soon. It seems there may be a weak link in this case. It is hard to know where to assign the blame. But, if veneers are done by a competent experienced clinician they should last as long as crowns and crowns. I have seen crowns last more than 60 years.
View answers from Lawrence Singer, DMD
lonestargirl 29 Jun 2011
This sounds strange to me! I have had 16 porcelain veneers (8 on the upper arch, 8 on the bottom arch) for over 10 years. Never have they broken, chipped, or popped off. I eat everything! Corn on the cob, apples, super chewy candy like Jolly Rogers (ah...I admit it!)...literally everything. I really believe the problem is that any dentist, regardless of training/experience, can claim to be a cosmetic dentist. It's really a buyer beware situation. Make sure the dentist doing your veneers has advanced training and lots of experience with porcelain veneers.
Lawrence Singer, DMD 14 Dec 2011
Experience plays a role. Materials play a role. And patient bite and parafunctional habits may play a role too. The more complex the case, the greater the need for a more experienced clinician. Of course the most experienced clinicians are going to have the most consistently better results. Without knowing more details it is impossible to assign blame for sure. That being said, in most cases I do I tell the patients they can expect their veneers to lsat a lifetime. My technique and eMAX porcelain have made the process very predicable
View answers from Lawrence Singer, DMD
BrittB 5 May 2011

Hi Christine2x2,

Thanks for your review. While I'm glad they look nice, however yes it does sound like a lot of work and upkeep. Have you talked to your dentist to see if there is anything you can do to minimize that? We would love to see pictures of your new teeth. Please keep us updated.

Thanks so much for the review,

-Britt

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