What Happens to Veneers/Lumineers After 10-15 Years?

When a veneer has come near to the end of it's life cycle, it's pretty easy to replace.  Think about when you need new tires on your car.....you simply replace them.   Terrible analogy but basically the veneers are removed carefully.  New impressions are taken and then new veneers are made and bonded on.  The clock starts over now.  Technically there is NO limit to the number of veneers you could get on a tooth.  So don't worry about replacement. 

veneers are the same as natural teeth, if you will take care of them, they will stay life long. Choose good material and VERY GOOD COSMETIC DENTIST.

I have veneers on my teeth for 20 years and they still look great. When they begin to look bad then you have them redone. Remember you will have a beautiful smile for 20 years without the worry of yellow teeth, crooked teeth etc. They are worth the money and if your current teeth were so great you wouldnt be asking the question right?

Patients always ask me if veneers are reversible?  Their teeth are yellow and crooked with gaps, so my answer is why would you want your old teeth back? They usually laugh and say you're right! lol

Conservative veneers cases (like UltraVeneers or Lumineers) - when done properly - should last a very long time.  Also, your teeth are minimally prepped in this type of treatment (usually not even prepped through the enamel), and therefore your teeth remain very strong.  When these cases are done properly, they should last over 10 or 15 years.  As long as you take excellent care of your teeth and health, (and you don't have trauma to a tooth that breaks porcelain), and you wear your night guard if it is prescribed by your dentist, then you should be able to enjoy your beautiful smile for decades.

I tell my patients that the goal of veneers is to remove only enough tooth structure to achieve the desired esthetic outcome.  Since veneers preparations are very conservative by nature there is much less tooth structure removed especially compared to a crown preparation.

Patients who are regularly seen for preventive care have the best and longest lasting outcomes because the teeth are kept cleaner and the tissues stay healthier.  The healthier the tissue, the less recession (tissue sliding down) revealing the root.  When the root is revealed there can be a difference in color and some patients will replace the veneers do to esthetic concerns.

Although you are young, there is no reason that with proper prevention and habits you could expect years of service and replacement generally is at the patients request (wanting to make them whiter) and not for failure due to other more significant problems.

Cosmetic porcelain veneers require far less tooth reduction than full crowns.  Good quality veneers have the potential to last a very long time.  Following good wear and care, it is likely that you will eventually have them replaced later in life.  It will simply be a matter of removing the original porcelain which can be done without substantial additional tooth reduction.  

While nothing lasts forever, the reasons for replacement can vary dramatically.  Most often, the reason is a color upgrade or surface "glossiness" re-do.  Loss of teeth is usually NOT the reason for "failure" 15-20 years later.

Since veneer preparations are very conservative, tooth structure still remains.  THIS can decay if not cared for, which could lead to a re-do of the veneer.

At age 25, I would say to expect to have the smile redone 2-3 times.  People are living longer, so one should expect to replace or maintain their case.

Most of our cases that are 25 years old or older are being done for no other reason than they want "whiter" teeth, but the teeth are otherwise completely healthy...