How Many Times Can You Replace Porcelain Veneers?

It sounds like the veneers are "popping" off due to issues with the bonding process or potential occlusion (bite) problems.  Veneers should be able to be  replaced without an issue unless there is not an adequate amount of enamel left to bond to.  For these cases you will be bonding to dentin and it would be wise to transition to all porcelain crowns.  These crowns can look just as good as veneers as they are made of the same material.  If your bite is "off" or you are grinding then you  should consider getting a nightguard to protect the new porcelain crowns.

Veneers can be replaced several times so long as the tooth structure underneath is solid.  The only way your dentist would be able to tell is by removing the veneers themselves.  Keep in mind that every time a tooth is worked on, you risk having irreversible damage caused to the tooth. With that said, it's always best to try to keep them as veneers rather than crowns because veneers are more conservative.  It's possible they are "popping off" because your bite is off.  It could also be as a result from grinding/clenching your teeth. My recommendation would be to do some research, find a doctor that is very experienced with doing cosmetic treatment, and then have a consultation to see what can be done for you.

Veneers need to be bonded properly to enamel to ensure longevity. Also your bite needs to be properly adjust so that you do not grind or bite on the veneers with excessive bite pressure.

If there is limited amounts of enamel then I agree that crowns might be a better option.

Your original veneer experience is what you should expect.  The most common cause of veneer failure is chipping or breaking.  Having the restorations coming off should be very rare with proper preparation of the tooth, proper bite adjustment, and excellent adhesive techniques.  To me it is more semantics between veneer or crown.  I use the same porcelain material for both and conserve as much tooth structure as possible without compromising the final result.

You can re-do veneers as many times as you want or need, however it is the judgement of the dentist to determine if you have enough tooth structre left to beable to support a veneer. If not, you would need to do all porcelain, metal free full coverage crowns for proper longevity and aesthetics.

For cosmetic dentistry to be successful a number of things must be taken into account. These include:

1) An understanding of where we want the tooth position, size, and shape to be before the case even begins.

2) Restorations placed in harmony with the muscles of the face, other teeth, lips, and joints.

3) An understanding of the benefits and limits of the materials used.

The definition of the word "veneer" has now blurred as we place "3/4 veneers", 3/4 crowns, and "no-prep veneers".  A knowlegable dentist knows the circumstances when each of these options are most appropriate. There is no need for a blanket decision to only do veneers once or twice or three times on a tooth.  If done correctly, hopefully once or twice in a lifetime will be fine. If not, a transition to a crown or "3/4 veneer" is not a huge one and will not feel or look any different.  Whichever choice is made, they should not "keep popping off!"

The strongest and longest bonds are to dental enamel.  That means that when a veneer is bonded to the tooth enamel it can last a very long time.  Some preparations take away more enamel and in this case the veneer is bonded to dentin, or dentin and enamel.  As a rule the more dentin that we bond to the less likely the bond is to last a very long time. 

However, it is possible to bond to dentin, and I have veneer cases that have been done on dentin predominantly, and they last for many years before debonding.  When veneers are bonded to dentin especially, it is important that the dentist use very precise technique and correct protocols to ensure the best result.  Any contamination of the tooth surface during bonding such as saliva, even mouth humidity, can compromise the final result.

When the "bite" is unbalanced, the result can be that excess stresses are applied to the teeth by grinding/clenching habits or even normal everyday function.  These excess forces are usually what cause the veneers to crack or chip.  Be sure that your dentist designs your bite to minimize the destructive forces, or wear a nightguard or some type of protective appliance at night.

If you do some of these things you will likely be able to redo your veneers or rebond the existing ones.

The answer is you can always replace veneers if you need to. 

The goal of course, is to have your veneers last a long time. Twenty years for the first set is above average success. A minor chip occasionally can be normal, however if you have been having a lot of chipping, then the answer to how long veneers last (for you) may have to do more with your bite and less with the veneers themselves.

Your veneers shouldn't be popping off. In my experience, I have not found a difference if the veneers are thick or very thin--they all should stay on well.

Sometimes crowns are necessary, but it is often a last option. I favor placing veneers again. Even if they are slightly thicker, they still ought to adhere fine.

I would make a list of your questions-- make sure to get all of your questions answered BEFORE you start this again. Make sure you get your bite (especially the "excursions") addressed as well.

 

The veneers can be placed multiple times.  Until there is not enough tooth to bond them to, in which case crowns would be a better alternative.

The answer varies with each individual.  But one reason veneers pop off is that there is not enough tooth structure.  It sounds like this might be the problem in your case.  So crowns would be your best choice.  All ceramic ones (zirconia, or alumina coping with porcelain) would be the most esthetic.

Best!

Dr. Alper

A Porcelain Veneer is bonded(glued) to the tooth and can be removed by grinding it away.  Because of the color match between the porcelain and the tooth, the removal of the veneers has to be done very carefully to avoid or at least minimize trauma to the tooth.  If removed with haste then there is removal of more tooth structure with every attempt to remove the veneers. 

Today there are other ways of removing veneers including the use of a laser that melts the glue and the veneer pops off without further damage tot he tooth.

If the veneers were removed with a drill multiple times then there is likely not enough enamel left to secure the veneer to the tooth, you may need to change to crowns.  Your trusted dentist should be able to recommend what he thinks is the best alternative.

Hope this helps.