Porcelain Veneer Issues Solved!

Q: I had porcelain veneers done about five years ago in New York. A couple have popped off and needed re-cementing and I notice the color is darkening. Why is this? Is this normal?

A: Some refer to porcelain veneers as “laminates”. I don’t like this term as it sounds like the linoleum floor from my grandmother’s little kitchen they had in the back of their furniture store in Green Point Brooklyn. The kitchen always smelled like a mixture of her egg salad and stove gas. I always envisioned that the store was going to blow up from a gas leak and Green Point Avenue would be painted in egg salad. A tragedy no doubt, but easily cleaned up with some melba toast.

I have literally placed thousands of veneers over my almost thirty-two years in practice both in Manhattan and Palm Beach. Life changing for some, age reversing for all. I too have upper and lower veneers which were done over twenty years ago.

Here is how we avoid the two problems above:

• Color stability: The cement choice is key : Variolink Esthetic by Ivoclar has no “amines” which will cause color changes over time
• Veneers popping off: #1) Although it can happen with patients with strong, tooth-grinding traumatic bites, the chances can be greatly reduced if they use a custom night guard. #2) A new adhesive is applied to the teeth just before cementing called Adhese Universal. This cleans out by etching the small pores in teeth, called tubules, and allows the adhesive component to flow into the tubules for a stronger mechanical bond. #3) Digital impressions vs. trays of goop can lead to a closer fit of porcelain to tooth surface.

Ask your doctor what they are using before you invest in a new smile!