Color of veneers. Any suggestions? (photo)

Hello there,Your temporary veneers match quite well.  It's hard to say that the B1 used for your temporaries will be the exact shade as your permanent veneers because they are not made with the same material.  However, the shades should be very close.  Be sure to discuss your concerns with your dentist.  Good luck and I hope this helps. Follow me if you have more questions.Sarah Thompson, DMDSt. Louis, MO area (O'Fallon, IL)Real Self 100

Thanks for posting the picture. To answer your first question, they should be close but may not be exactly the same color. It's hard to say exactly how different they will be because there is an artistic factor to making veneers and each set is different. Without knowing how thick the veneers are or what material they are made of it's impossible to determine if the cement will affect the color. Most of the current cements are color stable but the tooth under the veneer can change color. The problem is that over time your natural teeth may get darker so the difference between the veneers and natural teeth may become more obvious in time.

To answer your questions:1.  Depends on many factors but the B1 for permanents may not appear the same color as the B1 of the temps due to the fact that the temp material is different than the ceramic which will be used for the permanents. Also, the temp material is generally one shade throughout and the ceramic will most likely be layered with different shades and have a certain characterization and staining that wont be present in the temps.  In addition, the ceramic may have more or less translucency depending on what the dentist/ceramist decides. Make sure you are happy with the try in before cementing.  Its easier to make a change before they are permanently placed.2.  If the veneers are very thin, the cement can change the color a little.3.  The veneers will generally stay the same color unless something drastic happens to the underlying tooth.4.  Hard to really say due to the poor resolution of the photo.

While the prototypes give us a good idea of what to expect, they aren't perfect. Every brand of porcelain or temporary material will have a slightly different "look" for their B1 shade (and all shades).  As long as your dentist took photographs and sent them to the lab, you should be fine.  Cements can alter the color of veneers as long as the veneers are a translucent material and are thin enough to let the color show through.  If they are thick (or opaque), cement won't make much of a difference.