It was nearly six months ago when I had my porcelain veneers placed on my teeth. I have five total veneers. The one that was on my canine fell off only a week after I got it on. This happened while I was eating some bread. It hurt a lot and was super sensitive to temperature and air. When I went back into the dentist, he said it came off because my bite was off. So, he decided to shorten the veneer and the lower part of the tooth. He claimed he didn’t realize the bite issue before he permanently bonded it in place. I was nervous because it was already really sensitive. But he assured me that I didn’t need any numbing agent to simply reattach it. Well, when the chemicals were applied and he starting using the instruments on it, I nearly came out of my chair and I refused to let him continue working without being numb.
Several months went by and that same porcelain veneer fell off. This time it happened while I was eating a pancake. The immediate pain and sensitivity was back again. I was so mad this time because the dentist had originally told me that the porcelain veneers should last for 10 years or more before having any issues. I guess I felt that one time with it coming off was OK. But twice having it fall off was just really frustrating and defeating. This time around he said that I needed a porcelain crown because my bite was off.
This is so upsetting! I feel like I shouldn’t have to compromise my healthy tooth for a crown when it was perfectly healthy before all this. Have you heard of something like this taking place multiple times? I’m starting to wonder if this dentist really knows what he’s doing. Is it normal for the tooth under the veneer to be extremely painful when it comes off. Do I need to be concerned about a crown now?
When I asked him about his experience, he told me he has been doing cosmetic dentistry for over a year and family dentistry for five years. Please let me know if you have any advice. I’m at my wit’s end. I feel like I’m nervous with every bite I take and wondering if another one will come off.
-Rebecca in Oregon
Rebecca,
This may not be the news you’d like to hear but unfortunately, it sounds like it’s time to move on and find an expert cosmetic dentist that has much more skill and understanding of cosmetic dentistry. It is quite possible that the right cosmetic dentist could replace this porcelain veneer without any further issues.
You mentioned that your dentist has one year of cosmetic dentistry training. This really doesn’t mean much because cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty area within dentistry. Any dentist can make the claim to be a cosmetic dentist with very little or no extra training or experience, like you have just been through.
It sounds like he is blaming your issues with your bite being off on the tooth where the veneer keeps coming off. Now, it’s of course not possible for me to give you individualized recommendations or an explanation about why this has happened without seeing you in person or seeing a photograph of your case. But, your dentist’s explanation just isn’t good enough. He had an opportunity before the veneer was placed and then again when it was done over to make sure your bite was functioning as it should.
A porcelain veneer that isn’t placed properly will typically chip or crack before it pops off. So the fact that your porcelain veneer has come off multiple times leads me to believe that there may be an issue with the way it has been bonded.
If you still have the porcelain veneer, take it to an excellent cosmetic dentist in your area. It really should be a fairly straightforward process to get the porcelain veneer placed properly for a dentist who knows what he or she is doing and understands the bonding agents and technology. Whatever you do, don’t move forward with the porcelain crown simply because the dentist was in over his head. That’s not fair to you.
Regarding your sensitivity issues, that is not surprising to hear. It is possible that the dentist prepared the underlying tooth a little deeper than it should be. This would mean that when the veneer is not covering it and protecting it, the tooth is highly susceptible to sensitivity.
Hopefully, by visiting a much more experienced cosmetic dentist, you will be well on your way to smiling again.
Thank you for reaching out.
This post is sponsored by Barrington cosmetic dentist James T. Gavrilos, DDS.