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Too Much Shine on My Porcelain Veneers

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I had a smile makeover done. I know the porcelain veneers should have some shine. However, these have so much shine on them that it is obvious they are fake. It’s almost like a shiny white piece of gum. Is there a way to take off some of the shine so they can look more natural? I paid a small fortune for these and I’d like to have something I can feel good about.

Laney

Dear Laney,

Beautifully textrued teeth

 

You’ve brought up an interesting point about cosmetic dentistry. I wish I had an image of your smile makeover results to give me a better idea of what you’re dealing with. Based on what you described, it sounds like your glazing was done in a flat, uniform type of design. If you look at the teeth in this photograph with work done by Dr. Delaune, you can see that teeth aren’t flat. They are textured. Also, the color is not uniform. Instead, they have varying degrees of opacity throughout the tooth.  By the way, only one of the teeth above is “fake”.

The glazing on the tooth is what is responsible for the shine you are experiencing, especially if your dentist did not texture it. However, I am not sure you will want to remove that glazing. It is also what protects your porcelain veneers and makes them stain-resistant. Occasionally, we run into a new patient who had their cosmetic work done at another office. Because that particular office didn’t properly go over cleaning procedures for cosmetic work with their hygienist, she used a power prophy jet during cleaning, which takes the glaze completely off. Within a few days, that patient’s veneers began to pick up stains.

Hopefully, you have a dentist who cares about the patient’s satisfaction with their work. A true cosmetic dentist would never bond your veneers on until you had a chance to look at them with a temporary try-in paste and give your approval. If you weren’t thrilled with the results, they would go back to the lab. It doesn’t sound like you were given that option. That is likely the result of your dentist not having much experience with this yet and therefore doesn’t carry (or may not even know about) these try-in pastes. This is just one of the problems with cosmetic dentistry not being a recognized specialty.

My suggestion is you simply go back to your dentist and explain how you feel about your veneers. You paid for a beautiful smile and should get one. Some cosmetic dentists even have a beautiful smile guarantee. If he or she is not sure how to do it any differently, you can let them see this post.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune

dentist said no to porcelain veneers

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I had dental bonding done on my front four teeth. The bonding has since worn out. I decided I wanted to upgrade a bit and get porcelain veneers. My dentist said I’m not a candidate for that because of the bonding. Instead, he wants to do crowns. I’m not crazy about that option. Do you have a recommendation?

Laurie

Dear Laurie,

A woman getting a porcelain veneer placed on her teeth

My first recommendation is you see another dentist. Under no circumstances should you let your dentist put dental crowns on your front teeth. This will grind them down to nubs. If this were necessary that would be one thing, but it is completely unnecessary.

You can have porcelain veneers placed after dental bonding. The only reason your dentist is saying you can’t is likely because he doesn’t know how to place them.

In dental school, we’re taught to always be confident with patients. Without that confidence, patients will grow anxious. So, instead of saying, “i’m not comfortable doing porcelain veneers” or “I haven’t done many porcelain veneers”, which could make you (understandably) uncomfortable, he says you’re not a candidate and avoids the issue altogether by suggesting a procedure he does know.

Find a Great Cosmetic Dentist

Cosmetic dentistry isn’t taught in dental school. A dentist has to make an effort to invest in cosmetic training after they graduate.

Even if you needed crowns, I would suggest a different dentist. To get a beautiful smile, you need an expert cosmetic dentist. Otherwise, the results would be disappointing.

In your case, I’d go to the mynewsmile.com website. They have a “Find a Cosmetic Dentist” link. You’ll input your zipcode and how far you are willing to travel to see a cosmetic dentist.

The key to this site is they have pre-screened each dentist who wants to be listed. They can’t just pay to get on the site. Instead, they have to show their technical knowledge and skill, as well as demonstrate their artistry in their work.

Anyone they recommend can give you a beautiful smile.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.

Is It Possible to Replace My Metal Crowns with Porcelain Veneers?

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I see these gorgeous pictures of porcelain veneers, then look in the mirror at my horrible ugly crowns and get discouraged. Is there a way I could replace my crowns with veneers? They’re cloudy looking to me. Now they’ve developed some kind of weird line at the gumline. I don’t want to be ashamed every time I smile.

Sandy M. – Little Rock, AR

Sandy,

I have bad news and good news. I always start with the bad news so we end on a hopeful note. It is impossible to replace crowns with porcelain veneers. When you had your crowns placed, your dentist had to grind down a good deal of your tooth structure to make room for the crowns. Porcelain veneers need to be bonded to intact teeth. With that tooth structure gone, there’s nothing for the veneers to bond to.

However, that doesn’t mean you are stuck with an unattractive smile. A good cosmetic dentist can give you a stunning smile using all-porcelain crowns. Based on what you described, you have metal-based crowns. They’re the ones that develop a gray line at the gumline. It also explains the cloudy look you mentioned. The crown is made more opaque to cover the metal.

All-porcelain crowns solve all of those problems. They can be as translucent as natural teeth. Combine that with the artistry of a great cosmetic dentist and you have a recipe for a smile you’ll be proud to show.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Duane Delaune.