Hello Dr. Hall,
I had discolored teeth from smoking and a filling line that could be seen in my front tooth. I had 6 top front Vivaneers (Porcelain) put in on the 29th of July ’08. They were TOO BIG and had skirts, but I thought I would get used to them.
I did complain to my dentist, who is also my friend, but didn’t want him to take the money loss. The “canines” were rounded out too. I did NOT like that. Then on 31st July ’08, I had the 6 front bottom ones put on, AND EVERY SINCE THEN I DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH SALIVA. I have “dry mouth.” No, not sores or cracks, just a dry mouth, and can’t speak as fast or as well as I used to. I have investigated everything on the net re: “dry mouth,” that it could be oral cancer/diabetes/hypothyroidism/dehydration etc. I do NOT believe it is any of these.
I bought the “snake oil” Dr. Hall and now regret it.
I spoke to my dentist at length about this; he is going to call the dental lab (Glidewell in Calif.) and speak with a Dr. Michael Ditolla to find out the WHY for the dry mouth. My vivaneers were “no prep.”
According to what I have read, the vivaneers could be lasered off. I don’t know what my options are after that…bonding or? I am gun shy; I don’t think I will ever get veneers again.
The tragedy is that I am a middle school teacher and speak all the time.
Additionally, ever since the veneers went in, my lip gloss and lipstick sit differently on my lips.
My lips get dry within 25 minutes after the lipsticks go on. This NEVER happened prior to the veneers.
Thank you Dr. Hall for any light you can shed on this.
Dear Janice,
Your basic problem is that your friend is not a cosmetic dental specialist. I sympathize with you, for all the problems you’re having with these Vivaneers. Let me help you understand them.
Realize that I can’t tell for certain why you are having dry mouth without doing a thorough examination, but I can guess. And I am pretty certain that, with the Vivaneers on your teeth, you can’t close your lips or your mouth properly, and this is why your mouth is getting dry. You are breathing through your mouth, and this dries it out.
Here’s my reasoning: There isn’t anything in the porcelain or in veneers that would react with anything in your mouth or would produce any kind of a reaction that would cause dry mouth. That rules out any chemical or physiological reason, so the reason must be mechanical — an inability to close properly. And when you do no-prep veneers on the lower front teeth, it is almost guaranteed that you will open the bite. This would also cause the difficulties you’re having with speaking and with your lips drying out.
I would be surprised if the dental lab figured that out. That isn’t their department. Your dentist is the one who is supposed to know. The fact that your dentist has to call the laboratory for help with this seems to show his lack of expertise in cosmetic dentistry.
I would have the Vivaneers removed. I rarely say that, but in your case, I believe that would be best. And your dentist doing only six veneers on the upper and six on the lower is also poor. Cosmetic dentists and all your friends know that when you smile you show at least eight teeth on the upper — sometimes ten or even twelve.
You’ve learned the hard way that you can’t go to a general or a family dentist for cosmetic dentistry. Dentists as a rule are technically oriented and aren’t artists. Don’t lose your faith in cosmetic dentistry, but if you decide you want to have this done right, go to one of the Connecticut cosmetic dentists on our list. Please, for your sake and the sake of your relationship with your dentist, don’t have him do any more appearance-related work. And don’t lose faith in him as a general dentist. Just understand that fixing broken teeth and creating beautiful smiles are two very different functions.
Further information about Vivaneers:
Vivaneers are a brand of porcelain veneers that are very much like Lumineers. They can be made extra thin, and the advertising suggests that they can be without preparing the teeth. So they appeal to general dentists who know very little about cosmetic dentistry. Read our blog posts about Lumineers by clicking the category on the right. You may also want to go to our main web site Lumineers page for some excellent information and cautions. Everything said about Lumineers can be applied to Vivaneers.
– Dr. Hall
Related information:
Care of porcelain veneers
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.
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