Cracked and Broken Porcelain Veneers after 6 Months!

Question:

Dr. Sam, I’ve had porcelain veneers on my front teeth for 6 months. Last month one of them cracked and had to be replaced. I was a bit shocked that it only lasted for 6 months – but this is not my question. My dentist then replaced the cracked veneer, but the color is different and it seems to be quite a bit thicker than the others. My dentist says this is my imagination and that I should allow some time to get used to it. This sounds wrong to me – what do you think?

Answer:

Without even seeing your teeth the odds greatly favor that you are right. If can be difficult to match the porcelain veneers if the dentist did not write down the shade of the bonding material. Additionally, manufacturers do not keep making the same materials as the word “new” seems to sell products. The dentists can find themselves in a difficult situation, trying to match one tooth to all of the other teeth without the same material available.

The best cosmetic dentists in Los Angeles have a large inventory of different materials and they also have the skills to know which one would be the best. See Josh for a great example of matching only two porcelain veneers to this patient’s natural teeth. It is very difficult to match shade shape and opacity when bonding only two porcelain veneers but it also can done. Josh has had his two porcelain veneers for nearly 8 years and they still match perfectly.

You also mentioned the shape was too thick and you are surely right because the patient has a much better feel inside their mouth and can tell if there are any discrepancies. Considering that one of the porcelain veneers broke in only six months and the dentist could not match the shade nor the shape when trying to replace the veneer, it sounds to me you chose the wrong dentist. Maybe it is time to move up a few levels as you now understand how uncomfortable and irritating bad porcelain veneers can be.

Contact Sam Muslin DDS MAGD, Santa Monica, California at (310) 829-6796