Hello. In 1994 I had ten porcelain veneers on my upper teeth due to severe tetracycline stain. I am very happy with them. Yesterday, one of my two front veneers split in two lengthwise and fell off. My dentist’s office had me come in and they have temporarily glued the piece back on which is very uncomfortable and I am very afraid it is going to fall off again. They are making me wait another 5 days to have a temporary tooth put on. To me, obviously, this is an emergency. I was told however at my dentist’s office that it’s not considered an emergency because it’s cosmetic. Would other dentists consider this type of situation an emergency? Also, would it be best to replace the broken veneer with another veneer or should I do a crown? Will the pores of the tooth hold another veneer?
Thank you very much for your time!
– Val in Ohio
Val,
I think that offices that do a lot of cosmetic dentistry understand the nature of an “esthetic emergency.” In our office, we gave them top priority.
I would not go to a porcelain crown. Yes, you can have a new porcelain veneer bonded on and it should hold as well as if it were original. The dentist needs to thoroughly understand bonding chemistry, though. It would be good to remove all of the old bonding material, just to be sure you’re starting with a fresh surface, but even that isn’t absolutely necessary, if the surface is treated properly.
You don’t have to have this re-done by the same dentist that did them in 1994. An expert cosmetic dentist will be able to match it perfectly. If you’d like to try someone who understands the nature of an esthetic emergency, try one of our Ohio cosmetic dentists. You’ll find them all excellent and very understanding of this type of emergency.
– 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.