Porcelain veneers & temperature sensitivity?

1. senstivity is common after bonding but should get slowly better every day. to get a good bond lots of trauma is possible to the soft tissue and healing will minimize the issues

2. Is the pain only when cold hits it? Is it spontaneous? Does it wake you up out of a dead sleep? If you drink something cold does it linger for 15-20 seconds before going away?

3. About 3% of teeth prepared for crown/veneer need root canal treatment. could be due to heat, trauma, old restorations, or cracks. The pretreatment films, vitality tests, and visual condition of the teeth could tell the dds something is at risk

4. The "risks and dangers" of root canals are dramatized on the web. Make sure your research is from peer reviewed journals. (use pubmed) if you dont want a rootcanal and the tooth is truly infected the only other options would be extraction and implant, extraction and bridge, extraction and partial. 

It is common for teeth to be sensitive after veneers have been placed if the preparations (amount the dentist drilled) was heavy and substantial dentin was exposed.  The bonding chemicals are acidic and can sensitize the nerves temporarily.  This temporary sensitivity can last 1-3 weeks at the most.  The sensitivity manifests itself usually as a reaction to cold or chewing when biting into something hard.

When prolonged sensitivity (more than 3 months) occurs after veneers are placed, it usually implies something is wrong. The three most common causative agents of prolonged sensitivity:


Tooth preparation came close or exposed the nerve which has caused the tooth to get infected

The bonding procedures were flawed and there is leakage under the veneer/s

The bite has been changed by the veneers and the dentist needs to make some occlusal adjustments

I would try a prescription strength fluoride toothpaste or Sensodyne brand toothpastes and would use them exclusively for 3-6 months. 

If this doesn't take care of the sensitivity then you may need a root canal. If there is no infection or decay then the patient ultimately decides when they have "had enough" and need relief from the sensitivity. 

Sometimes root canals cannot be avoided. Dentists don't typically recommend root canals unless there is infection, pain or a very good chance of pain developing following treatment.