Should I Switch out my Veneers for Crowns?

I personally have my own Veneers for 20 years.  In my opinion the cases that seem to last the longest are due to the following reasons: 1. Enamel only preparation. When a minimal amount of tooth is removed the bond is more predictable and these restorations have less problems than those where a large amount of tooth structure was removed. 2. A favorable bite. Chewing is not static but dynamic. Those Veneers that seem to chip usually have some bite problem that has not been diagosed properly.  3. Good Home care and habits:. Taking good care of the veneers, seeing your dentist for maintainence and avoiding habits such as biting on ice, objects, sports without mouthguards and lead to chipping and debonding of the veneers.  If these apply in your case you may want to switch to crowns were the crowns have added strength build on the engineering of the restoration.  Crowns can come in a variety of materials. Some sacrifice strength for esthetics. Other's are better at hiding discoloarations of the underlying tooth structures.

 

Good luck,

 

Dr. Steven Glassman

Veneers, in most cases, are the most esthetic and the most conservative restoration possible. In your case, veneers haven't been a successful restoration  - and possibly for several reasons.  It sounds like your bite may be problematic, especially if you continue to breakoff veneers.

I would recommend that you consider having your case carefully evaluated for bite problems - first.  It's called occlusion, and that may be why your veneers are breaking.  That needs to be addressed before you invest in more porcelain work.  You may need a splint or nightguard to protect your veneers/crowns from future breakage too.

The good news is that full coverage crowns are very strong.  The newer porcelain material, Emax, is may times stronger than veneer porcelain for just a few years back.  If you do need new crowns, then I would ask your dentist about Emax for your case.  This may be your best bet.  Best of luck.