Porcelain Veneers Archives - Stephen D. Doan, DMD

Porcelain Veneers Turned Gray

Posted on July 14, 2022 by writeradmin.

I had four porcelain veneers put on my front teeth and now the two front ones have turned gray. I’m quite distressed about this because I wanted pretty teeth and paid quite a bit for these. Now my teeth are three different colors. The white veneers, the gray veneers, and my yellow natural teeth. My dentist said it is because the front teeth are darker. He can make them thicker to make them match. If that were the case, why were they white at first? My teeth underneath wouldn’t have turned darker after the veneers were placed, would they?

Avery

Dear Avery,

I am going to be blunt and tell you that your so-called cosmetic dentist is in over his head. Do not let him do anything else to your teeth, especially make them thicker. You could end up with horse teeth. First, let’s talk about your natural teeth. He should have had you do teeth whitening before your porcelain veneers were placed. This is an inexpensive and a simple way to make sure the adjacent teeth blend in with the teeth that have veneers.

Second, the “dark teeth” were not dark when you had the veneers first placed if I understand you correctly. If they were white before and then have grayed, that is a problem with the bonding. It sounds like there is a gap between your teeth and the bonded veneers. This is allowing food and other bacteria the get between the tooth and the back of the veneers. This needs to be fixed because it will lead to decay. The good news is this gives you a reason to get a refund from this dentist and have the work done properly.

My suggestion is you go to the mynewsmile.com website. Every cosmetic dentist they recommend is prescreened for their technical and artistic ability. They are among the best cosmetic dentists in the country. They can give you a beautiful smile makeover.

This blog is brought to you by La Jolla Dentist Dr. Stephen Doan.

Are Online Snap-on Veneers a Good Alternative?

Posted on March 1, 2022 by writeradmin.

I went to my dentist about getting porcelain veneers. They were pretty pricey. I did some research and there are snap-on veneers that are much less expensive. I can even get them online for less money and save going to a dentist. Are these a decent alternative?

Brant

Dear Brant,

It depends on what type of results you want to get. If you are looking for a beautiful result, you want porcelain veneers. If you don’t quite have the money, I actually recommend you wait and save up to have it done right.

The snap-on veneers you can get are not the same material. While porcelain veneers are obviously made from porcelain, the snap-on types of smiles are made from acrylic. This will not look as natural, nor will a dentist be able to get the variety and subtle differences in opacity you can get with porcelain veneers. The one good thing about these is that if you hate the results you can just take them off, while porcelain veneers are permanently bonded on.

The best type of snap-on teeth are called Snap-on smile. These are done through a dentist. If you are going to get this type of makeover, this is the brand I’d recommend, even though you would have to do it through the dentist. He or she will fit you for it the appliance, but even then, when it returns, there will need to be minor adjustments made in order to get it to fit properly. These adjustments require special tools. I would not use the online versions as this will not be possible for you and you’ll end up with painful spots.

Just make sure you have lower expectations for the snap-on smile than you would for the porcelain veneers and you should be fine.

This blog is brought to you by La Jolla Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Stephen Doan.

I Need Root Canals After Getting Porcelain Veneers

Posted on January 5, 2022 by writeradmin.

My dentist gave me a smile makeover with porcelain veneers crowns on both the top and bottom teeth. Two of the teeth started bothering me and the gums were sensitive. The dentist adjusted the height on both of them several times, but they still hurt. Then, they developed abscesses. The dentist did x-rays and told me the nerves died and I will need root canals on those two teeth. He referred me to a root canal specialist, who found four other teeth in need of root canal treatments. I was frustrated and asked my dentist about this. He said this sometimes happens to people with sensitive teeth, but not to worry because they’ll go through the back of my veneer crown and no one will know. Why didn’t he warn me about that before the procedure? I’m a little worried this is going to be an ongoing nightmare with the remainder of my teeth. Is there anything I can do about this?

Kate

Dear Kate,

I want to clarify something right off the bat. You’ve used the term veneer crown. I want you to know there is no such thing. I am hoping you weren’t misled, but just got some terminology mixed up. There are porcelain veneers and there are porcelain dental crowns, but there is no veneer crown. Based on your descriptions of what has taken place, I feel you were given dental crowns. It would be incredibly rare for there to be nerve damage from the tooth preparation done with a porcelain veneer.

tooth preparation for a porcelain veneer

Tooth preparation for porcelain veneers

When a tooth is prepared for porcelain veneers, very little tooth structure is removed, as you can see from the image just above. The structure is removed from the front only and a smidge on the sides. This is because that is where the veneer will be placed. You will never see a porcelain veneer that hugs the entire tooth, going around to the back. It will only be bonded to the front of a tooth.

Because so little preparation is required, there is little risk of any type of nerve damage.

Tooth preparation for a dental crown.

What I think happened to you is the preparation similar to the image directly above. This is necessary because a dental crown goes around the entire tooth, so more room is necessary. If a dentist gets too aggressive in his removal of the tooth structure, there is a greater risk for pulp exposure, leading to a dental infection. This appears to be your situation. With the number of teeth he worked on, I would be more likely to call this a full-mouth reconstruction, not a smile makeover. A full mouth reconstruction crowns all your teeth and it is done to correct a bite that is so off it is causing problems, such as major TMJ disorder. With a smile makeover, you use porcelain veneers, usually only on the teeth that are visible when you smile. Teeth whitening is done ahead of time to ensure all the teeth blend together well.

If your work was done purely for esthetic reasons, your dentist was overly aggressive and caused damage to quite a few teeth. My suggestion is you hold this dentist accountable and have him pay for your root canal treatments and any new ones that become necessary in the next six months. After that, I think everything will have gone to its norm.

I’m sorry this happened to you. For those reading, if you ever want a smile makeover that is done both with technical accuracy as well as stunning beauty, my suggestion is you use an AACD accredited dentist.

This blog is brought to you by La Jolla Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Stephen Doan.

Staining Around One Year Old Porcelain Veneers

Posted on December 29, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have had my porcelain years for a little over one year. I’ve noticed the areas around my veneers are stained. I will admit that I am a smoker, but my dentist told me that porcelain veneers are very stain-resistant. Do you think my veneers are defective? I’m still paying for them and wondered if I should stop until these are fixed.

Leslie

Dear Leslie,

I wish that I had an image of your porcelain veneers because it could be one of two things. What I can do is give you some possibilities. This first one I do not actually think is your issue. I’m just bringing it up in case someone else is experiencing this. If your stains were over the entire surface of the teeth, the first thing I would check is whether or not your dental hygienist used something like a power prophy jet during your last cleaning. This will take the entire protective glaze, that makes them so stain-resistant, off the veneers. It will not take long for them to begin to turn darker.

You said your stains are only around the sides of your porcelain veneers, which tells me the above is not your problem. Instead, it can be one of two things. One is if there is a gap between your porcelain veneers and your teeth. This would be a tricky fix and may require doing the veneers over. A second option is that some of the composite bonding around the edges is what is picking up the stains. This area was likely polished when you first got your veneers but has slowly picked up some staining again. Especially as a smoker, I would consider polishing the edges where some composite lay as regular maintenance.

Don’t expect your average family dentist to know how to polish that bonding. You will need to go to an expert cosmetic dentist who has the materials and knowledge necessary to do this procedure. They will need to use ultra-fine polishing strips in this area and a special ultra-fine aluminum oxide polishing paste. The good news is by doing this you keep the area not only smooth and stain resistant, but keep plaque from accumulating in the area. This gives your porcelain veneers the longest life span possible. This isn’t expensive and will be a great investment in your smile makeover.

This blog is brought to you by La Jolla Dentist Dr. Stephen Doan.

Cavity on a Porcelain Veneer

Posted on October 9, 2021 by writeradmin.

My dentist says that a tooth I have a porcelain veneer on has a cavity. He wants to remove it and replace it with a dental crown. Is that really necessary? Can’t I just replace it with another veneer? It was my old dentist who did these veneers and he sold his practice. I feel like I’m trapped with a lesser version of my old dentist.

Katie

Dear Katie,

I haven’t seen your tooth, but have some concerns here. I’d like to bring up a couple of things to consider and you can go from there. First, it would have to be a fairly substantial cavity to require a dental crown. I would say at a minimum 20-30% of the tooth should be gone. If that is not the case there is no reason for a dental crown. You can just replace the porcelain veneer. So, let’s say you don’t need the crown. Why would he suggest one?

The most common reason a dentist suggests a dental crown instead of a porcelain veneer is they are not yet skilled in porcelain veneers. Crowns are taught in dental school. Doing a smile makeover is not. That brings me to the second thing to consider. Does your current dentist have the skills to make this tooth match even if it is a crown? I doubt it. Only about 2% of cosmetic dentists in the country are skilled enough to match a single crown to a porcelain veneer.

In your position, I would get a second opinion with an AACD accredited cosmetic dentist. These are the top cosmetic dentists in the world. You can do an internet search for one in your area or visit the website for the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (aacd.com) and do a search there. Be aware that membership is different than accreditation. Any dentist can pay to be a member. To become accredited, however, means passing stringent oral and written exams as well as having actual cosmetic cases they’ve done examined by an accreditation board. Even if you have to travel to a nearby city or state to find one, it will be worth the results.

This blog is brought to you by La Jolla Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Stephen Doan.

A Lisp After Porcelain Veneers

Posted on September 27, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have had the hardest time getting a smile makeover. The first dentist did four porcelain veneers and within a few days they were literally crumbling off of my teeth. I got my money back from that dentist and went to another one. He did six porcelain veneers and, while they haven’t crumbled, I have had a lisp since getting them. Is this common?

Catrina

Dear Catrina,

The big problem you are facing is that cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty. To make matters worse, doing smile makeovers is not taught in dental school. All true cosmetic training has to be done post-doctorally. Any general dentist can claim to be a cosmetic dentist regardless of the amount (if any) training they have invested in. It looks like you have been to two dentists who do not have any real expertise in cosmetic work.

Let’s start with the number of porcelain veneers they have given you– four and then six. While six is better, most smiles are eight to ten teeth wide, which means you will have teeth exposed that do not match the ones with the veneers. At the very least, I hope they had you do teeth whitening before placing your porcelain veneers so the teeth wouldn’t be a complete mismatch.

As for the crumbling. Porcelain itself is very fragile. You can easily crush a porcelain veneer with your fingers if you want to. It is the bonding procedure that makes them so strong and durable. A correctly bonded porcelain veneer will stay on your teeth even if the veneer itself is flawed and cracked. If yours were crumbling off your teeth it means the dentist doesn’t know how to bond properly.

Now, onto the next dentist. This one either made your porcelain veneers too long or too thick. Both of these can cause a lisp. I would try to get a refund from this dentist. The only way you are going to get a smile makeover that is well-done and beautiful is to go to a cosmetic dentist with real expertise. My suggestion is you go to an AACD accredited dentist. These dentists have proven training, expertise, and artistry. You will finally get a real smile makeover that you are proud of.

This blog is brought to you by La Jolla Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Stephen Doan.

Gums Inflammed After Porcelain Veneers

Posted on July 30, 2021 by writeradmin.

I recently had porcelain veneers placed. I do like them, but ever since, the gums of my two front teeth have been massively inflamed. I spoke to my hygienist about it and she blamed it on how I’m brushing. I was annoyed at that because I am almost 50 years old and have never even had a cavity. I’m pretty sure I know how to brush my teeth. A month later I had a follow-up appointment. The dentist looked at them and removed some cement from the area. That gave me some relief but it still hurts. They don’t seem concerned and I don’t know what to do next. Have you encountered this before?

Meg

Dear Meg,

I do not like it when dentists try to put things off on the patients. I have often found that patients love their smile makeovers so much that they take better care of them than they even did before they had their porcelain veneers placed. There is obviously something wrong here. Inflamed gums can lead to gum disease and indicate there is irritation.

There are a few possibilities. The first is there is an allergy to the porcelain itself. This is rare but it does happen. I don’t think this is actually your issue because it is only the gums around two of your teeth. You did not say how many porcelain veneers you had placed but I am assuming it is more than two. I just mention it for the benefit of anyone else who may be having a similar problem.

A second issue is there is still more cement there. I am a little concerned that there was any cement there to begin with after a month. Dentists who do a lot of cosmetic work normally have a system for preventing this. Most will cure the cement in the middle to tack the veneer on and then clear off the excess cement while everything is still soft.

Finally, the margins of your veneers could be uneven or gapped. This will trap food and other bacteria between the gums and the veneers, leading to inflammation, pain, gum disease, and decay.

What I want you to do is go to an expert cosmetic dentist to have these looked at and determine what the actual problem is. Once you know what is causing the problem, then you can finally get this fixed. I’m going to guess your dentist has some complicity in this, so he should be expected to pay for the repair. Removing the cement won’t be a big deal. However, if the problem is the margins, the entire case will have to be redone. In that case, I would just get a refund and have a more expert cosmetic dentist re-do the work. I would have an AACD accredited dentist be the one to check your veneers and do the new porcelain veneers if that becomes necessary.

This blog is brought to you by La Jolla Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Stephen Doan.

Mixed Results with No-Prep Porcelain Veneers

Posted on July 18, 2021 by writeradmin.

I’ve been looking at a bunch of website smile galleries for before and after pictures with no-prep veneers. The results seem to vary so much, I am not sure how to interpret that. How can the same procedure with the same materials vary so much? Are there any tips you can give me to make sure mine are going to be beautiful?

Mason

Dear Mason,

You’ve made a great observation. There is a wide disparity amongst the results of smile makeovers. The key factors for the results of any makeover are the dentist and the ceramist. This is true whether you are doing prep or no-prep veneers. There are a few reasons for this. First, cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty. That means any dentist can do cosmetic work regardless of the amount of training they’ve had. Now combine this with the fact that they don’t teach smile makeovers in dental school and you can see the problem. It takes a significant amount of training to be able to do these well.

But, there is more. If you took two artists, trained in the same school for the same number of years, and then commissioned them to do the same exact portrait, the results would be different. One would be more attractive and skilled than the other. Like, painting, sculpture, or dance smile makeovers are artforms, and the skill and artistic eye of the dentist matters.

The ceramist matters too. Think of this as a doctor and pharmacy. The doctor writes the prescription and the pharmacist fills it. What happens if you have a terrible pharmacist who doesn’t know how to follow the directions properly or who is just sloppy in his work?

With these dangers how do you guarantee your smile makeover will be stunning?

Choosing Your Cosmetic Dentist

Knowing you need a skilled and artistic dentist for your porcelain veneers, how do you go about finding one. You’ve tried one way by looking at the before and after pictures on their websites. Something that will work faster for you and let you know you are in the best hands possible is to go to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry website and look for an accredited dentist in your area.

Note that accreditation is different than just being a member. AACD accredited dentists are the best cosmetic dentists in the world. They have passed stringent exams as well as had the artistry of their work evaluated by an accreditation board. Only the best of the best of the best will pass. If you want a guaranteed beautiful smile, use an AACD accredited dentist.

This blog is brought to you by La Jolla Dentist Dr. Stephen Doan.

Should I Get These Composite Veneers

Posted on June 14, 2021 by writeradmin.

I want to get my smile made over. Porcelain veneers are quite expensive so my dentist is offering to do composite veneers. He said because it was composite and not porcelain it would be less money. Have you had much experience with these type of veneers?

Carol

Dear Carol,

I’m going to recommend you do not get composite veneers. These have to be done freehand. There are probably only 1-2% of dentists in the world who could do that procedure well. In fact, it is the hardest case a dentist has to do to pass accreditation. There are way too many cosmetic dentistry horror stories of patients who ended up with a smile that looked much worse than the one they came in with. I do not want this to happen to you.

There is a second reason as well. While it is initially less expensive to have composite bonding done, it is the inverse over the course of time. Porcelain veneers are very stain-resistant. In fact, they are even more stain-resistant than your natural teeth. When well taken care of, they can last your lifetime. Composite, on the other hand, will only last a few years at most. This means over the course of twenty years you will spend significantly more money than you would have if you’d just gotten the veneers to begin with.

My suggestion? Find an AACD accredited dentist then have them do porcelain veneers. If the price is out of range right now, you can upgrade your smile with an inexpensive teeth whitening procedure while you save up to get the smile makeover done right.

This blog is brought to you by La Jolla Dentist Dr. Stephen Doan.

My Porcelain Veneers Don’t Match

Posted on May 16, 2021 by writeradmin.

I had porcelain veneers made, but when they came in the first time, they were way too white. I asked my dentist to do them again so they would match my teeth. He did send them back. When they returned, my dentist bonded them on without me even getting to see them. They still don’t match. I just let it go and figured there was nothing I can do about it, but now one of them has broken in half. My dentist said not to worry about it because he replaces broken porcelain veneers for up to two years. However, these puppies are pricey. I want them to last way more than two years. Do I have unreasonable expectations?

Lindsey Anne

Dear Lindsey Anne,

Your expectations are not unrealistic. Plus, your dentist put on your porcelain veneers the second time without your consent. This is a problem for him especially because he tried them on the first time. You had an expectation of that, especially because he had done that the first time. I think you have the right to ask for a refund in this case. I especially think you should because one of them has already broken, so soon into their creation. These should last many, many years. I am concerned about his skill level.

Once you get that refund, what should you do? Obviously, you will want to have these replaced but you do not want to end up in the same situation you are in with this dentist. You want to get a top notch cosmetic dentist. Unfortunately, cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty. That makes it up to the dentist how much training they invest in doing this well.

The best cosmetic dentists are accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. AACD accredited dentists have passed stringent exams and had their artistry evaluated on a large number of cases by an accreditation board. If a dentist reaches accreditation, it means they are in the top 3% of dentists in the world.

One other word about matching your teeth. If you want whiter porcelain veneers but your natural teeth that are not being veneered would make your smile look fake, I would simply get your teeth whitening before having your porcelain veneers placed. This will allow the non-veneered tooth to blend in much more seamlessly.

This blog is brought to you by La Jolla Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Stephen Doan.