Dr. Hall,
I got porcelain veneers across my top eight teeth last fall. I love them – my teeth were very small and the procedure lengthened them considerably and made them even and straight.
Here’s the problem: on my right lateral incisor, there is now a crack which is noticable, about a fifth of the way up the tooth, going all the way across. I can feel it with my fingernail. I am worried that it is going to fall off.
I paid for my dental work with an inheritance. I picked the best cosmetic dentist I could find, price was no object, and I felt like I received a great smile. But I’m uninsured, normally not wealthy, and I can’t afford to keep going back to them for regular dental work when I can go to a clinic for a cleaning. I’m afraid that if I go back, they’re going to keep charging me and charging me. They’ve called me to try to set up regular dental appointments after I “broke up” with them after the cosmetic work, but I don’t pick up because I’m very nonconfrontational.
What are some ways it is possible to have a veneer crack like that? What could cause it? Is there any way they could claim that it was my fault? There’s just no way… I treat these new teeth like an investment, and I haven’t been punched in the mouth.
Help! I don’t know what to do.
-Juniper in Chicago
Juniper,
Even a cracked porcelain veneer, if it is bonded on well, is unlikely to fall off. However, your description suggests that this horizontal crack is up near the incisal edge of the tooth, and, especially if your tooth was lengthened, there could be not much that is holding this on.
I’d go back to the dentist and have him look at the crack and see if he can fix it–it sounds like he needs to replace the one veneer. While no cosmetic dentist will promise that their veneers last forever, this veneer shouldn’t have cracked after just six months. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d fix it for you for no extra charge. At least ask him.
I doubt he would blame it on you. Usually, “porcelain veneer abuse” results in chipped veneers, not in cracks where the entire veneer remains on your tooth. This kind of crack happens occasionally to ceramic restorations, and it may be due to stresses in the material. So be brave and call them.
Just be up front with them–tell them their fees for cleanings, etc., are higher, and you don’t have the budget for that on a regular basis, but one of the veneers is cracked and you’d like Dr. Bock to look at it and want to know if you’d be charged for that. From having dealt with many patients, I can tell you that there are a number of patients who are up front and frank about financial issues like this, and this never offended me. You wouldn’t be out of place to bring that up.
– Dr. Hall
A related subject: cost of porcelain veneers
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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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