Dr. Hall,
\nI have four porcelain veneers on upper teeth, that have stayed color stable, etc However after a cleaning last year, I am seeing a small gray stain forming on top of one at margin I don’t know if it was damaged but find it interesting given correlation in time I do go to a highly respected cosmetic dentist and staff is trained to maintain veneers etc Is there a way to clean margin and remove the stain?
\nThanks
\nJoe from Dallas<\/p>\n
Joe,
\nI’m at a disadvantage in not being able to see this stain you’re talking about, so I’m going to take a guess at what it looks like. And I don’t know how old they are.<\/p>\n
Porcelain veneers<\/a> have the characteristic of being very stain resistant – even more stain-resistant than natural teeth. And, as you said, they are also very color stable. When they do stain, it is usually from one of two causes. Either the surface of the porcelain veneer has been damaged – the glaze has been broken possibly due to the use of power polishing equipment or acid fluorides. Or, there is something getting under the veneers.<\/p>\n For the sake of being able to say something, let’s assume that these are older veneers that have been on maybe ten or twenty years, and that the stain starts right at the edge of the porcelain veneer and involves the first millimeter or two of the veneer. This is the type of stain that would be the most likely to confine itself to the edge of the veneer.<\/p>\n If these assumptions are correct, then the stain probably comes from leakage – the margin of the porcelain veneer has broken down and microscopic particles are getting between the veneer and the tooth. It is called microleakage, and it starts being just a stain, but if not addressed and repaired, it can grow into decay.<\/p>\n If this is the case, you would not be able to have this stain polished out. The veneer would have to be removed and replaced. And it wouldn’t be related to any damage that could have been done during your cleaning.<\/p>\n Dr. Hall<\/p>\n Links: read more about stained teeth<\/a>.<\/p>\n