Can composite resin bonded teeth have porcelain veneers?
Yes but you have to remove all of the resin bonded material before the impression is taken. All of the resin must be removed and only tooth enamel is remaining. The dentist must use magnification dentistry to remove the resin bonding material in order to preserve the patient’s tooth structure. The dentist could damage the teeth without high magnification during the resin removal.
Can 14 year olds get porcelain veneers?
Yes, 14 year olds can get porcelain veneers but it would be best to make sure that there is very little to no grinding on the natural teeth. Additionally, the bite of the younger patients should be corrected as the porcelain veneers are being made. Porcelain veneers can be a huge improvement for younger patients as their self esteem is so important.
Younger people with crooked, yellow teeth have more negative behavior that younger people with nice looking teeth. There are no health disadvantages if the porcelain veneers and done by a highly experienced and skilled dentist. The most important part of treating younger patients is the type of porcelain being used. There are many different types of porcelain that are made cheaply and will not last nearly as long and hold their color nearly as long as high quality porcelain, a skilled ceramist and an experienced, artistically and technically skilled dentist
How expensive are porcelain veneers?
There are many different types of porcelain veneers that are marketed today and there are also many dental ceramists that have a wide range of skills. You may pick the right material but the ceramist doesn’t give good quality. You can pick the best dental ceramist but the wrong type of porcelain veneer for the patient. The result is fake looking teeth.
I have found that in my office, I work with one dental ceramist and he and I work together on every patient. I actually work on the porcelain myself and both of us discuss the type of porcelain that would work best on each patient. Sometimes I need to bring him into the office to see the patient personally in order for both of us to pick the porcelain and decide how to prepare that teeth to utilize the best characteristics of the type of porcelain that we chose to use. It all depends on the color of the patient teeth, the size of the teeth, the patient bite and the patients expectations on how natural and how white they want their teeth to appear. Some types of porcelain are better for hiding dark teeth and other types of porcelain transfer light for a clean natural look.
How much of my teeth should be ground down prior to porcelain veneers?
In the most ideal situation, no tooth structure is removed. The porcelain veneer is bonding to the patient’s tooth enamel. All of the tooth structure is saved and in fact, the porcelain veneer actually protects the patients natural tooth structure for many years. Imagine aging 30 years and visualizing how your teeth could look. Over 30 years, teeth wear down, the enamel turns yellow, and the tooth structure gets thinner and chips. All of this tooth wear is eliminated with porcelain veneers protecting the patient teeth. The porcelain veneer takes the 30 year of wear and abuse.
Sometimes it is indicated to remove some of the patients tooth structure if the teeth are crooked. Porcelain veneers can provide instant braces in just 2 weeks. The patient can have straight white teeth in just two weeks but some minor amounts of tooth structure are removed.
Dr Sam, what is the life expectancy of porcelain venners? My doctor claims that unless I get the best quality I may have to replace them after 5 or 10 years.
The two most important factors that determine how long porcelain veneers last are the bonding technique used by the dentist and the skill level of the dentist. There are many different dental bonding kits by each manufacturer and there are many different manufacturers and there are many combinations of materials in the kits. Additionally there are over 7 generations of dental bonding materials kits that have been developed that add even more confusion as dentists try to keep up with the new products.
Unfortunately, most of the new products were designed to save the dentist time and sacrificed bonding strength. The newest products are actually weaker than the first generation bonding materials. The dentist finds that his or her porcelain veneers do not last because they don’t know that the material they are using is weak.
The technique used by the dentist has to be meticulously perfect. Dental bonding is either perfect or it fails. In my dental office, we see more and more patients that just had porcelain veneers placed that keep falling off. These patient are frustrated and angry. Their dentist may not have good enough technique skills and/or may be using inferior dental bonding materials. After successfully bonding porcelain veneers for over 25 years, my oldest porcelain veneer case lasted 26 years before the patient passed away. Not one porcelain veneer broke off or chipped during the 25 years. My best advice is to pick the experienced dentist, because they are worth it.
All my front teeth are significantly chipped. I consulted with my cosmetic dentist and she said the only option was to extract the teeth and replace them with a bridge. This scares me! Quite frankly, I’d rather live with chipped teeth than have them extracted. I know that you’d have to see me to give your professional opinion – but I am curious to know if there is at least a sliver of hope for another option?
Something is wrong with this picture – is there perhaps something that you are not telling me? Are the teeth abscessed or have they lost a lot of bone surrounding the teeth?
There is not another reason that I can think of that would justify extracting teeth that are only chipped.
I would not extract them at this time and would go to another dentist for a second opinion. If both dentists have the same opinion after looking at your x-rays and doing an examination, then chances are that extractions my be the best choice. It is just hard to believe with the information that you have provided.
Dr. Sam, how long should porcelain veneers last? I’ve had mine for 4 months and now the one has cracked. My dentist said this is normal and is prepared to replace it free of charge but said he would have to make it thicker to prevent the problem from happening again. I read Samantha’s bad porcelain veneers story on your website and I am worried about my teeth becoming too bulky. Are there thin veneers that are stronger than others?
Porcelain veneers can last for over 25 years without at chip or a crack. Your dentist is willing to replace it and that is an honorable gesture. I am not convinced that making it thicker will make it last longer because a well bonded porcelain veneer is very strong.
It would be better if the dentist could try it again with minimal grinding of your natural tooth. Perhaps this time, more attention to detail could keep the porcelain veneer from cracking rather than grinding down good tooth structure unnecessarily.
Dr Sam, after many years I decided to have something done about my chipped front teeth. The solution offered was to place 4 porcelain veneers on my front teeth. This looked great – but after two weeks I woke up one morning and found the one veneer fell off. Then a few days alter I discovered a hairline crack in another veneer. I went back to my dentist who then told me that my teeth grinding is too severe and that he should rather place crowns over my teeth. Do you think this is the right solution?
It would be a shame to have your four front teeth ground down for crowns just because your front teeth were chipped. The dentist should have known that you grind your teeth before he or she recommended porcelain veneers. If the dentist knew in advance, then the design of the porcelain veneers could be such that they do not break.
Additionally, there is a huge difference in the dental bonding skills between dentists. They all may have good intentions, but some dentists are better skilled than others and it makes a big difference in how long your porcelain veneers will last.
Dr. Sam, could you explain in layman’s terms what Face Lift Dentistry ® is?
Face Lift Dentistry ® is much more than just a cosmetic dental procedure. It’s about the highest level of dental health that has a profound and positive impact on the health of the entire body.
It prolongs life with the elimination of decay and disease that is very common in the mouth that freely flows down the throat and penetrates into the blood stream every single day. With the reduction in mouth infections the health of the entire body is improved. With decreased levels of disease and infections, the patient adds years to their life span and quality of life is improved.
These patients have achieved such a superior level of home care, that they actually enjoy doing it. Dentistry that is a perfect fit, allows these patients to clean their mouths and be totally free of infection. Gums are pink and tight, no swelling, no bleeding and their breath is clean and fresh. The benefits of the total approach to dental health care are enormous long term.
Face Lift Dentistry ® also reduces daily stress within the skeletal muscular system. The grinding of the teeth and a bad bite contribute to TMJ pain, headaches, neck and jaw muscle pain. This level of stress reduces the body’s ability to function efficiently and reduces mental capacity as the entire body is in constant compromise as it has to adapt to a higher stress level. Treating the bite and creating harmony with the jaw joint or TMJ or jaw joint, reduces mental and physical stress within the body systems. It is well documented in the literature that stress reduction improves the quality and quantity of years during the patient’s lifetime.
Face Lift Dentistry ® also improves self-esteem and professional appearance. How a person presents themselves impacts the quality of their relationships. The movie industry creates ugly looking teeth for the villains while the hero looks very good.
Studies have show that children with bad looking teeth and bad bites have more behavioral problems. Self-esteem is greatly enhanced and Face Lift Dentistry ® benefits the entire face including the eyes. The patients viewed in Dr. Muslin’s Face Lift Dentistry website all show the “proud and happy” look because they know they are looking better for the rest of their lives
Dr. Sam, Would Jaw Re-Aligning the jaw with Face Lift Dentistry lead to future Problems?
Most people do not ever have proper jaw alignment at anytime during their lifetime and after years of aging, the bad bite problems get worse. Jaw pain is generally the result of bad jaw alignment and emotional stress. Patients are more likely to have problems in the future, if they do not get their jaw alignment idealized with Face Lift Dentistry.
My treatment protocol for Face Lift Dentistry involves testing the jaw position before treatment begins. The patient is in total control of the testing and they report the results.
The results of jaw “re-alignment” with Face Lift Dentistry have been highly successful in relieving jaw problems as headaches. Neck pain has been reduced, muscle tension has been relieved and headaches have decreased in frequency and intensity after treatment. These patients have benefited from being treated with Face Lift Dentistry and have lived better and healthier lives.
The reason a jaw would need “re-aligning” is to improve the alignment. The patient is more likely to develop jaw problems as headaches if they do not improve the jaw position.
Dr. Sam Muslin received the 2009 "Best Cosmetic Dentist in Los Angeles" award from LAs Best, featured in the Los Angeles TImes.
