Unhappy with Color of Veneers

Porcelain veneers are like fine china.  You can not ever stain them and the color will not change.  Once the porcelain is bonded to the tooth, you are not able to change this.  

Hopefully after a few days you will find that you love your veneers.  No dentist wants their patients to be disappointed or unhappy.  Give your smile some time to settle and then decide if you still think they are not white enough.  Re-hydration and getting use to something new takes time.

You ultimately will determine if they are white enough for you so try not to get upset.  Talk with your dentist and find a solution that works for both of you. 

Just so you know, underlying issues can take white veneers and make them seem less white-color of your tooth underneath, tetracycline stained teeth can gray out veneers and even the glue used to cement the veneers can change the color-all kinds of uncontrolled issues.  Assume your dentist will make it right and go from there.

it sounds like you were expecting your new veneers to be very white and that your dentist or ceramist were aiming for natural. Since you just had them placed yesterday, I would give it a few days to just get used to the color, THEN see how you feel about it.

I would also get the candid input from people you know who both have an eye for details and what would look good on you AND can tell it to you straight. You might be surprised to find that your friends might say it looks good on you-if you don't get stuck on bl1.

IF after a few days of cooling off you are still very unhappy, then I would call your cosmetic dentist's office and express your disappointment. Don't make it a confrontation-that rarely leads to a good ending in health care. 

It sounds like a few things could have been issues:


No one in the dental office really listened to what you wanted

You may not have expressed how white you wanted them in specific enough language

You and the cosmetic dentist ought to try-in the new veneers BEFORE cementing them to make sure the color matches everyones expectations. Preview the result before bonding it in.

You may have had temporaries that were unnaturally light, making it seem like your new porcelain veneers are darker than you wished.


This is a difficult situation. In order to get a happy ending, you and your cosmetic dentist will have to both put your emotions aside and be pragmatic about what is realistic to change (as well as the pro's and con's of making a change). Best wishes, Dr. Scott Greenhalgh, DDS

 

When getting dental veneers, communication between the patient and dentist is critical.  Size, shape, texture and color or the veneers must be considered closely.  Depending on veneer thickness, the base color of the underlying tooth becomes a major factor in final appearance.  The veneers should be tried in using a non-adhesive paste the same color as the intended adhesive so that the color can be better controlled and the patient given an opportunity to view their new look before it is permanent.  I will often have the patient step outside into the daylight with a mirror to approve the case prior to cementation.  This way we retain the ability to adjust or remake the veneers if necessary.

Shade should be selected by using dental shade tabs placed between tooth and lip using office and natural light, not by looking a shade guide directly.  Natural teeth are not stark white, they contain some red, orange, yellow, brown and blue.  We have the patients select the shade without seeing the code on the tab.  Only the doctor and lab are aware of the shade code to be used.  This way numbers and letters do not influence the patient's selection.

You can always request that the doctor remove and replace the veneers with a brighter product, however this would further alter the remaining tooth to remove the layer of tooth embedded with adhesives.  If you have not told family, friends or coworkers about having this procedure done, see how they react at first glance to your new look.  You may be pleasantly surprised.

Sorry to hear that you're not happy with the color of your veneers.  It's probably best that you allow everything to settle & if you're still unhappy you can discuss this matter with your dentist, just keep in mind that in order to change shade veneers would have to be removed and redone it will be like starting all over.  The last thing a dentist wants is for his patients to be unhappy, I'm sure he will find a solution that will work for both you.

In all cosmetic procedures discussion of the treatment plan and the results that patient expects is extremely critical. The patient can bring photos from different journals with the smiles that he considers "ideal" or "pleasing". It usually helps to understand patient`s expectations and improve communication with the doctor. Mock-up with composite material also is one of the diagnostic steps that is routinely used in such cases.

The major question that is evident- if the patient was happy with the color of veneers before they have been cemented? If the patient wasn`t satisfied, veneers should be remade. If the patient liked the result before cementation most likely the reason for color change that can be suspected is the underlying tooth structure with darker shade showing through porcelain. In this case it will take a couple of days for the restorations to "settle". The major criteria for cosmetic work that it`s supposed look absolutely natural, like your own teeth. In the situations when patients insist on unusually white bleach colors it is extremely important to explain that most likely the smile will look artificial and most likely opaque, unnatural. The best advice in such a situation is to wait a couple of days and ask opinion from people in your environment either you should change anything. And advice for females- use brighter lipstick!

When communication is lacking, less than desired expectations result. Talk to your dentist in a non-confrontational tone. Perhaps they can be remade to achieve your goals. One communication technique is to make one veneer first to try in to make sure the patient, doctor, and ceramist are all on the same page as to shape, shade, texture, translucency, etc. Also, please consider that BL1 is a very unnatural shade on anyone. BL3.5 would be considered very white teeth. Of course you are the patient and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.