Dr. Hall,
I got porcelain veneers in my two front teeth like 21 years ago because of white calcium deposits on my teeth, but it seems like my teeth are getting darker and darker……it is very apparent in pictures. It really bothers me. What are my options?
Thank you,
Shayna from Georgia
Shayna,
I wouldn’t know for sure what the problem is with your porcelain veneers and your two front teeth without seeing them, but maybe I can be helpful.
Porcelain is very hard and stain resistant. It is actually more stain resistant than enamel, as long as its glaze is intact. But enamel has a certain capacity for self-repair by drawing minerals from your saliva. Porcelain doesn’t do that. This leads me to wonder if the glazed surface of the porcelain has been damaged.
The easiest way to damage them like this is for a dental hygienist to use power polishing equipment on them – that will destroy the glaze in one short appointment. They’ll look bright and clean when you’re through with your appointment, but within a couple of weeks afterward they’ll begin to attract stain and start to become darker.
If they are darkening because the surface has been damaged, it may be possible to restore the beauty of your smile with sophisticated polishing techniques using diamond grit polishers. I would advise contacting one of our Georgia cosmetic dentists and getting an opinion about it. This is beyond the ability of a family dentist.
Dr. Hall
Related links:
Read our page: How long do porcelain veneers last?
Read basic information about post-operative care of porcelain veneers.
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Dr. Hall,
I have 6 crowns on my top front teeth and two veneers. so, my top 8 teeth are cosmetic. I’ve noticed lately the edges of the teeth are looking a little stained and they’re looking dull overall. I am due for a teeth cleaning, but what do I need to make sure they use on my at the dentist’s office? Will my regular dentist know what to use? Also, will the Supersmile toothpaste be safe for my teeth?
Thank you,
Stephanie from Georgia
Stephanie,
First of all, yes, Supersmile toothpaste is safe for your cosmetic work. In fact, it is the safest toothpaste for cosmetic dentistry. It is made for the maintenance of cosmetic dental work, since it is one of the least abrasive toothpastes and relies on an enzyme to dissolve away the stains, instead of abrasion.
And that could be part of the problem with your porcelain veneers and crowns. Something has broken the glaze on them, because when the glaze is intact, they don’t discolor.
I wouldn’t ask your family dentist to do anything, but an expert cosmetic dentist might be able to bring the life back into your porcelain work, depending on how deeply the stains have soaked into the porcelain now. Check our list of Georgia cosmetic dentists. It will require polishing using special diamond-impregnated polishing wheels and pastes.
Dr. Hall
Related links:
Read about the post-operative care of porcelain veneers.
Supersmile toothpaste is the best toothpaste for taking care of cosmetic dental work.
Click here to find a cosmetic dentist.
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Dr. Hall,
I have a question would like you to help me. I have 8 veneers on the fronth teeth and I am wondering will the veneers loosen or break when a hygenist use dental tools to clean along the gumline during regular cleaning? Thank you and I look forward to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Vu from Ontario
Vu,
This is a good question. No, the hygienist won’t pull the porcelain veneers off or break them. They’re too strong for that. But yes, you do need to be concerned about possible damage that a dental hygienist can do to your porcelain veneers–she or he could chip them or dull the surface. It’s safest to have your cleaning done in the office of an expert cosmetic dentist, but if you have this checklist of “no-no’s” to give the hygienist, and you’re up front about what you want the hygienist to do and not do, you could have your veneers cleaned in any office:
- Power polishing equipment will ruin the surface. Some hygienists like to use Dentsply’s Prophy Jet. It’s a power polishing unit that sprays a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and water on your teeth and gets them really clean very quickly. Your porcelain veneers will look great at the end of the appointment, but the glaze will be completely gone and they will begin to stain as soon as you get home. This is the worst thing a hygienist can do to your porcelain veneers. There are other brands of power polishers that could also harm your veneers.
- An ultrasonic scaler can also damage the veneers right on the margins. It can cause little chips on the edges that will then become places where stain and plaque can accumulate and where decay will later start.
- Heavy duty manual scalers can also chip the margins, if they are used right on the margins of the veneers. Sometimes your hygienist needs to use these scalers, but she or he just needs to be careful not to be scraping hard right on the margins.
- And finally, coarse polishing pastes with coarse pumice can scratch the veneers a little, and can scratch the luting composite at the margins a lot. Hygienists should only use fine or ultra-fine polishing pastes, preferably with an aluminum oxide grit–no pumice.
I hope that’s helpful.
For more information, see:
Our page on taking care of porcelain veneers.
We recommend for people with porcelain veneers that they use Supersmile whitening toothpaste daily, because it is so effective at removing stains but yet it is gentle on cosmetic dental work.
Our page on general cosmetic dentistry maintenance, with tips on taking care of various cosmetic dental work.
Click here for a cosmetic dentist referral.
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