How long should I wait between getting Veneers and having surgery with general anesthesia?

Question

I am currently in the process of getting veneers on my six front upper teeth. After the veneers are placed, I am schedule to have surgery. I was told I would need a device to hold open my mouth and an endotrachial tube to breath. Could these devices used during anesthesia cause damage to my veneers? How long should I wait after the veneers are placed to have the surgery? Is two weeks adequate? Thank you so much!

Sarah Thompson, DMD · Answer

Please don't worry.  It is not necessary to stress to your anesthesiologist that your veneers were expensive.  Anesthesiologist are specifically trained to not break your teeth (or veneers and crowns).  This could cause broken fragments of teeth (or veneers) to go down your throat, so this is an area that they pay very special attention to.  Broken teeth by an anesthesiologist are a thing of 30 years ago, not 2014.  You do not need to wait longer than a few days to have your general surgery procedure.  Follow me if you have more questions about them.Sarah Thompson, DMD

Norman Huefner, DDS · Answer

What you're referring to is when an anesthesiologist puts you to sleep for general anesthesia he/she oftentimes has to put a tube down your throat into your trachea.  Usually the tongue is in the way of visualizing exactly where to place the tube, so they use a metal retractor to hold the tongue down so that they can see precisely where to place the tube.  It is the metal retractor, that if not properly used with care, than can injure the front teeth or veneers.  Somtimes also, patients will bite on the tube while their asleep and break a tooth or veneer as well.  Good anesthesiologists nowadays have usually mastered techniques and use a soft rubber bite block to hold the back teeth open so that those events are rare.  .My wife has eight porcelain veneers and had general anesthesia with intubation last month, and had no problems whatsoever.Most anesthesiologists will ask you if you have veneers, crowns, partials or loose teeth, as they are very conscious about breaking any teeth and potential malpractice suits.What I recommend to all our veneer patients who are having general anesthesia is to be very up front and tell the anesthesiologist "I have porcelain veneers on my front teeth, this cost me a lot of money and my cosmetic dentist worked really hard to give me the very best.  Please, make extra sure that YOU DON'T BREAK ANY OF THEM!"That usually drives the message home, and I can assure you your anesthesiologist will be as concerned about broken teeth or veneers as you.As far as when you can have your surgery after getting your new veneers, the two weeks you mention should be adequate waiting time to have your surgery.

How long should I wait between getting Veneers and having surgery with general anesthesia?

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How long should I wait between getting Veneers and having surgery with general anesthesia?

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Everything you need to know about Porcelain Veneers

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.