I had porcelain veneers done about a year ago. I was told they are very stain resistant and would last for many years. Now, they are picking up stains around the edges. I do smoke, but I was told that wouldn’t be a problem with my porcelain veneers. Is there something else going on?
Chelsey
Dear Chelsey,
There are a few things that can be going on here. Your dentist was correct that porcelain veneers are very stain resistant. In fact, they are more stain-resistant than even your natural teeth. There are some things, however that can cause stains to develop. The first is if the glazing is removed. This can happen if a dental hygienist unfamiliar with cosmetic work uses something like a power prophy jet or acidulated fluoride on your veneers during your cleaning and checkup. When that happens, the staining is over the entire veneer, not just the edges as you are experiencing.
When staining is at the edges, it is from one of two things. The first one would likely require the veneers to be redone. That is when You have to a margin between the veneers and your teeth. This can cause damage to your underlying tooth with decay, which is why they’d need to be re-done.
The more likely scenario is there is some bonding composite on the edges and it is picking up the smoke stains. This is an easy fix with a special polishing technique and I would consider it part of your regular maintenance to do if you want to keep your veneers looking their best.
All that being said, your average family dentist won’t know how to do this. It requires both ultra-fine polishing strips that are used with a special aluminum oxide polishing paste. You will need to go to the cosmetic dentist who did your veneers to have this done. He should have gone over with you proper maintenance for your smile makeover. It doesn’t sound like he did. Here is a link on mynewsmile.com that goes over everything you’ll need to know to keep these looking as great as they did when you first received them.
This blog is brought to you by West Seneca Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Warren Krutchick.