My dentist recommended eight porcelain veneers for my teeth that were stained. She tried whitening my teeth to improve the stains a bit, but it did not help. I agreed to porcelain veneers because I was desperate to do something about my embarrassing teeth. My dentist completed the work in mid-March. Since that time, my teeth have hurt. And a month later, one veneer loosened. So my dentist made a bite plate for me to wear at night because she said I grind my teeth so hard that eventually, I would probably break most of the veneers. Last week, I saw my dentist for a checkup, and she recommended removing the veneers and replacing them with crowns. I felt nauseous because I know she has to grind away my teeth for crowns. She examined my teeth and said another veneer would soon loosen. Shouldn’t she have anticipated this problem before recommended veneers instead of crowns? – Thank you. Alaina from NC
Alaina,
Your dentist may be right about your teeth grinding habit and its effect on your veneers. But your dentist should have seen evidence of teeth grinding when first examining your teeth—before recommending treatment. We recommend that you do not agree to any treatment from your dentist.
When Porcelain Veneers Fall Off
When porcelain veneers fall off, teeth grinding might be the problem. Or the issue might be with the dentist’s bonding technique.
- Teeth grinding – If teeth grinding cause your porcelain veneers to fall off, a bite plate may improve the problem. But sometimes it does not.
- Bonding technique – We are concerned about the reason that your veneers are weak and falling off. If a dentist does not bond your veneers properly, they can loosen and fall off.
Schedule a Cosmetic Dentistry Appointment
Please look for an advanced cosmetic dentist in your area. Look for a dentist with post-graduate training in cosmetic dentistry. The dentist will examine your teeth, bite, and veneers. A trained cosmetic dentist can distinguish between veneers that fall off from teeth grinding vs. faulty bonding techniques.
The good news is that it is probably unnecessary to have a dentist grind down your teeth for dental crowns. But check with a trained cosmetic dentist first.
Cosmetic dentist Mohamed Imam, DDS of San Antonio, sponsors this post.