What Can Be Suggested to Prevent Cracking of New Porcelain Veneers?

The process involved in placing the porcelain veneers on your teeth is called bonding.  With this process, the veneer is bonded to your enamel through a series of steps.  Once they are bonded correctly they will not fall off!  The main way to prevent your veneers from cracking is that your veneers should be built by your dentist to place you in an ideal bite.  This will keep excess chewing forces off of them.  In addition, if you do any grinding you should wear a nightguard every night.  Finally, the color of your veneers will not change over time.  Remember to always seek professional cleanings 3-4 times a year to better maintain them.  

After veneers are placed, they are permanently cemented. The veneers will last longer without breaking, chipping or loosening if your bite is correct. Some patients are asked to wear a night guard and some patients have used porcelain to correct the bite. Veneers are made of porcelain which is like fine china which will not change colors.

As long as you don't grind your teeth and chew rocks periodically, your porcelain veneers have the potential to look as good as they did on day 1... 10 years, 20, or even more years out. Use common sense and you should be fine.Best of luck.James Asaf, DDS

Porcelain veneer are so popular because they work. 

If your bite is good, wear a night-guard if you clench or grind, and exercise some good common sense. (No biting cuticles please- we have tools for that).   It's not unreasonable to get 10-15 years out of your veneers and maybe more.

I have noticed that although veneers do not stain, they do tend to look dated after about 15 years.  Funny to think that our teeth may need updating too (color that was "just right" 15 years ago, may seem too dark for modern tastes, etc). 

Veneers are like fine china.  With careful, mindful attention they will make you smile for many years.

Good Luck and a Healthy, Bright Smile

You can help maintain the appearance of your veneers by applying a few simple principles.  See your dentist regularly to keep an eye on the veneers, have your dental office use specific prophy pumice that is designed to be less abrasive than regular pumice, and use common sense.  Your veneers are extremely strong, but like natural teeth you can break them by being careless.

Just like our natural teeth...veneers can break.  I tell my patients to use common sense. Make sure that you see your dentist regularly, you take care of your veneers just like you would take care of your natural teeth.  Be careful what you bite in to, bite on.  You made a  wonderful investment in your smile....take care of it!

Porcelain veneers are very easy to maintain as long as you maintain them the same way you would your other teeth.  This includes proper flossing, brushing and regular dental followups with your dentist.  If a problem  was to occur it will most likely be caused by cavities, gum disease and a none ideal bite which usually involves grinding.  What you do need to keep in mind is that even if you do everything right there is always a small risk that a problem could arise the same way a perfectly healthy tooth might fracture/crack.  If you are concerned about stains than you have less to worry when compared to your natural teeth/enamel.  Stains can very easily be polished off porcelain veneers while the removal of certain stains (i.e. red wine, curry etc...) are harder to remove from the enamel especially if they have been there for a long time.

If you do Empress veneers, they will not crack,stain, yellow or loose the luster. Forget about lumineers!

Porcelain veneers are a great service for patients. They are easily maintained. You should brush and floss them like natural teeth. If the bite is correctly set up then you should not have to worry about cracking. Porcelain veneers do not usually stain. They should maintain there original color although if you drink red wine, tea, coffee or smoke then they will pick up stain similar to natural teeth. If you grind your teeth I would recommend that you use a night guard while sleeping.

Porcelain veneers are very strong and long lasting restorations once they are bonded to the tooth.  They can last for many years and look as good as they did on the first day. 

There are however some factors that can cause the problems you talk about.  If your bite is not adjusted well it is possible to place excess force on the porcelain and cause them to chip or break.  This can happen to our natural teeth as well.  If you clench or grind your teeth it is a good idea to wear an appliance to protect your teeth at night.  Discolouration is rare with porcelain.  If the underlying tooth shade is very dark it can pose a challenge to the final veneer colour.  Veneers are translucent and allow the shade of the tooth to shine through.  Sometimes it seems that this can get more noticeable with time.  Masking the underlying shade well at the beginning can help with this.  If a veneer loosens, which is rare, it usually can be rebonded.