Dr. Hall,
I am considering porcelain veneers, but I am concerned about the long-term cost they require – what is the approx. cost of maintenance? I am 29 years old now. Thank you.
– Michele from New York
Dear Michele,
There really isn’t any special maintenance cost, beyond what would be required for your teeth. That’s one of the very nice things about porcelain veneers–when done properly they are bonded to your teeth and you can be tempted to forget you have them.
It becomes more important to have regular dental checkups and have them cleaned. And you do need to be careful about which dental office you go to for maintenance–they need to know what they are doing. Many family dentists aren’t familiar enough with porcelain veneers and could do things that would damage them. For example, they shouldn’t use ultrasonic scalers, shouldn’t use power polishing equipment, or coarse abrasives because they could scratch or chip the veneers.
For more information, see our page on care of porcelain veneers. I would suggest Supersmile toothpaste as a great way to keep your teeth and veneers sparkling. We also have a page on general cosmetic dentistry maintenance that has some additional information.
And then, for long-term purposes you need to understand that no dentist will promise that the porcelain veneers will last forever. While their lifespan is excellent (after almost twenty years of doing porcelain veneer smile makeovers, I never found a case that wore out and needed to be replaced), a dentist simply can’t promise that. So consider that they may need to be replaced in 15 to 20 years.
– Dr. Hall
Additional information:
Dr. Bonnie Rothwell has a good post on her web site about how long porcelain veneers will last.
About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.