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Hello Dr.Hall
I had 20 porcelain veneers done 8 months ago. I’ve been using Listerine (has alcohol in it) and using a strong toothbrush and using Colgate toothpaste. And lately my teeth look grey so I Google online saying I shouldn’t be using any of this above. Dr. Hall is it because of the Listerine and toothbrush and paste that why my veneers turned grey? When I left the dentist, no one told me anything about what I shouldn’t do. Please let me know thank you so much.
– Thao from California
Thao,
That’s too bad that no one in your dentist’s office gave you any instructions on how to care for your new porcelain veneers. Let me help you out.
As far as what you are doing:
1. Listerine with alcohol is not good to be using with porcelain veneers. There are mouthwashes without alcohol. Click here for the blog tag on alcohol-free mouthwashes for more information on that.
2. Neither is a strong toothbrush good for porcelain veneers. Use a soft brush. Soft toothbrushes clean more effectively anyway.
3. Colgate toothpaste shouldn’t be a problem. Colgate regular (not the super-whitening or tartar-control formula) is one of the toothpastes that is less abrasive than most. I would recommend Supersmile toothpaste for porcelain veneers, but Colgate regular isn’t that bad a choice.
However, none of these practices will cause your veneers to turn gray. The Listerine and the hard toothbrush will damage the margins, which could lead to a ditching at the margin or staining at the margin. If there is a general slight graying of the veneers, I see only two possibilities for that. Either what you got wasn’t really porcelain, or something happened to damage the surface, something stronger than toothpaste or mouthwash or a brush. You say this is after 8 months. If you had a cleaning at 6 months and the dental hygienist used a Prophy Jet or other power polishing machine (see our page on Prophy Jet damage to porcelain veneers), that would certainly do it. If you’ve been in violent sandstorms or you work with sand-blasting equipment, that could also do it. Otherwise, I would suspect that the veneers aren’t really porcelain.
– 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.
I’ve heard that alcohol-containing products are really bad for cosmetic dentistry. My cosmetic dentist is an expert and he recommended Supersmile toothpaste, too.