Dear Dr. Hall,
I had porcelain veneers placed on my teeth originally in 1987. I had them replaced with new veneers in February of 2008. The new veneers started off white in color, but ALL have now become gray and dingy. The dentist thinks too much enamel was removed in ’87 and seepage of dentin is occuring underneath the new veneers discoloring them. She wants to replace them now with some sort of partial crown. Is this the only procedure left open to me to mask the dark color of my teeth from seeping through? I do not want more of my tooth taken away, and I am curious why in 2008 veneers cannot be made opaque enough to mask Tetracylcine staining and REMAIN white. What other option do I have besides partial crowns? I really just want to redo the veneers, but she is making me feel like every shade of veneer I try will yield the same result. Is this true?
– Amy from California
Amy,
I’m glad I caught this question to hopefully save you from trouble.
I am VERY suspicious of what this dentist is telling you. Something went wrong and she is trying to blame the first dentist. She says that seepage of dentin is occurring? I don’t know what she’s talking about. Because too much enamel was removed in 1987? This sounds crazy. These sound like made-up reasons to me. This problem is from something SHE did wrong, not the 1987 dentist.
You definitely need a second opinion from a true cosmetic dentist. I wouldn’t let this dentist do anything more on you. You DON’T need crowns.
Porcelain veneers can mask tetracycline stains. Absolutely. See the photos on our web site. That’s what you should expect. And the color of the veneers shouldn’t change AT ALL after they’re placed. But very, very few dentists know how to do this. And it sounds like your current dentist is one of those who don’t know how to treat tetracycline stains.
You’ve got some excellent cosmetic dentists in San Diego. See our page of Southern California cosmetic dentists and pick one of them and see what they can do.
Dr. Hall
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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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