Is a Porcelain Veneer Turning Dark a Dental Emergency?
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My daughter had eight porcelain veneers placed after she graduated college. She’s now in a low residency grad program and is having trouble with one of her porcelain veneers. It started when she was out on a bike ride and fell. She chipped one of her front teeth. We went back to the dentist who “fixed” it by sanding down the chipped tooth. That also meant that she had to file down the next tooth too. Fast forward just a few months and my daughter and I both noticed that one of the teeth that he shaved was getting darker. We went back to see him and he said that he is an expert in color and it looks fine to him. Then he proceeded to tell me that I was imagining a change in the color. Fast forward again and now that veneer is turning bluish. We’re both worried that this veneer is going to fall off. She still has two weeks of residency left. Should she go to an emergency dentist or wait until she gets home?
Evelyn
Dear Evelyn,
While something has gone wrong with this porcelain veneer, I don’t think it is a dental emergency yet. It would be best if she waited for the veneer to fall off naturally, even if she is done with residency and back home. Then, once it has fallen off an expert cosmetic dentist can help her to get it bonded back on.
If it gets too unsightly for her and she is embarrassed, the best thing you could do in that case is to have it ground off and then replaced. While it sounds like your dentist did an okay job with the porcelain veneers if she was happy with their appearance before, I’m not sure he’s the best dentist to handle this from here. His attitude toward you bothered me.
If she needs to get it ground off and replaced, just get all his notes on her treatment — he is ethically required to provide those — then get it replaced with another dentist. Preferably one with significant post-doctoral training in cosmetic dental work.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.