I had four porcelain veneers placed on my front teeth. Unfortunately, the two in the very front are turning gray. This has left me with three different colored teeth. First, there are my natural yellow teeth, which still show on either side of my porcelain veneers. Then, there are the white veneers next to them, and the two front teeth which have turned gray. I feel this whole endeavor has been a disaster. What can be going on and what can fix it?
Marla
Dear Marla,
The main problem you are facing with your smile makeover is the inexperience of your dentist. First, the porcelain veneers on your front teeth are defective. This can happen to a new cosmetic dentist. However, an even more basic error was made.
If you are only getting four porcelain veneers and your teeth are yellow, your teeth need to be whitened before your veneers are placed. Your dentist didn’t even know enough to do that.
As for the grey veneers, there are two possibilities I can think of immediately. I couldn’t tell you which without a photo, but I can describe it to give you an idea of what to look for.
If they are uniformly grey, then it’s likely the glaze has been removed somehow. This destroys your porcelain veneers because the glaze is what protects them from picking up stains.
If the gray is uneven, you may have what is known as microleakage. This means the bonding isn’t done correctly and you’ve got things getting between the porcelain veneers and your teeth. This will not only give them a splotchy look, but it will lead to decay.
Fixing a Porcelain Veneer Disaster
Because your family dentist is in over their head, I don’t think they’re going to be able to fix this. You need to ask for a refund and have this case redone by an expert cosmetic dentist. They’ll likely first suggest you whiten your teeth. Then they’ll do the case from scratch.
My suggestion is look to see if there is a dentist who is accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry in a reasonable distance from you. AACD accredited dentists are the top cosmetic dentists in the country. They will provide you with a stunning smile you will be proud of.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.