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

“Dr. Sam, my teeth are very crooked. I understand that I can get “instant braces” porcelain veneers to make my teeth look straight – but is this a good solution as my bite will still be off – but covered up?” –  Angie, Los Angeles.

Answer: 

The Skill of the Dentist

All dentists are not alike and there is a huge range in skill between cosmetic dentists in Los Angeles.  Many patients may pick a “coupon dentist” because they get a discount, which has been a big mistake for so many patients.  The skill of the dentist will directly determine the quality of your work.  Poor quality porcelain veneers are far more dissatisfying than paying more to get fine quality. 

Correcting Bites with Porcelain Veneers

Some dentists have the ability to improve and in some instances correct the bite with porcelain veneers.  These dentists have reached technical skills that few dentists will ever achieve.  Theses dentists can improve your bite and give you “instant braces” at the same time.  Porcelain veneers can be made to lengthen the bite, reshape the teeth, build new cusps of the teeth, change the color of the teeth and provide smooth right to left guidance to the bite.  The ultimate level of dental care using porcelain veneers, “instant braces”, cosmetic dentistry and maximizing dental health is Face Lift Dentistry®.

Bad Bites Break Porcelain Veneers

If the “instant braces” make your teeth look straight and the dentist was unable to balance the bite, the end result is generally,  broken porcelain veneers.  Some patients need to wear a night guard to improve the bite while grinding their teeth at night and to protect the new porcelain veneers.  Porcelain veneers can be made to look natural and make the teeth look perfectly straight and yet not change the bite at all.  In these instances a night guard may be the best solution to protect the porcelain veneers from breakage.  However, bonding the porcelain veneers into position with better technique minimizes   porcelain veneer failures or breakage.  The worst thing that can happen is to have a porcelain veneer break just before a very important event in your life.  It is not a health risk but definitely embarrassing.

Crooked Teeth and a Bad Bite

Is it a good solution to get instant braces and yet still have a bad bite?  Yes it is a good solution because having straight teeth is a very comforting and a very confidence building procedure.  Some patients may not be able to afford to change their bite but still want straight looking white teeth and for these patients “instant braces” are a great ideal.

We have had senior citizens or baby boomers want whiter teeth even though their bite is bad.  They get the white teeth and just live with the bad bite.  Others prefer to fix their bite and leave the teeth crooked, as their primary purpose is health.  The goal of the patient determines the level of care. 

Bulky Fake Looking Porcelain Veneers

There are so many fake and bulky looking porcelain veneers being placed on patients that many other people that are considering getting “instant braces” are turned off to the idea because of the bad porcelain veneers placed on their friends.  Patients get the wrong idea that porcelain veneers do not look natural.  The dentist just lacks the ability to deliver natural looking porcelain veneers and is just doing their best.  There best is not good enough and unfortunately, porcelain veneers and “instant braces” get a bad reputation.  Nothing can be further from the truth.  Porcelain veneers can be undetectable from natural teeth.  They can look incredible if the right dentist is doing the treatment.