Porcelain veneers are a decorative dental treatment for people who want a beautiful smile. This service is provided by many dental clinics which are into Cosmetic dentistry all over the world.
So what is cosmetic dentistry?
Basically anything that requires a dentist to work on your teeth to make them look beautiful and to produce an appealing smile is called cosmetic dentistry. Cosmetic dentistry is a kind of treatment which is used to make the face beautiful by engaging in various dental procedures which are available today thanks to tremendous progress the dental industry has made. People who keep a high profile lifestyle, usually opt for cosmetic dentistry more, but it is not limited to a certain class of people. There are many such procedures available to make your smile attractive. Porcelain veneers is one such procedure.
What are porcelain veneers?
Porcelain veneers are very thin sheet of ceramic porcelain (different from regular ceramic, consisting of medical grade porcelain), which are attached to front of the teeth. It is one of the most prevalent techniques in dental cosmetology, offered to people who have teeth which are crooked, uneven, or stained. These thin medical grade porcelain shell is constructed carefully according the shape and colour of the tooth on which it will be bonded. These veneers mimic the original tooth perfectly. The best part about veneers is that they can be perfectly customised, hence look most natural.
How long will porcelain veneers last?
Porcelain veneers can last for a life time. On an average it can be safely said that porcelain veneers will last for 10 years minimum. As the porcelain bonding becomes stronger, it can last for a long time. But like everything else, they are susceptible to harm.
Can porcelain veneers fall off?
Yes. It can. On an average the ratio of falling of porcelain veneers is minimal compared to its success, still, it cannot be denied that they may fall off or break down in some cases, for a variety of reasons.
Porcelain veneers are attached to the original tooth following a long procedure. The patient has to be examined and treated for tooth decay root canal teeth cleaning etc. Then the option of fitting the teeth with porcelain veneers is discussed at length and a decision is taken if the veneers are the best option according to its need and cost. The dentist has to take the proper measurements and the order for veneers is placed in the laboratory which will make them according to customization request made by the dentist. The customization will be done according the need of the patient, for chipped or uneven teeth or for stained teeth. The customised veneers are applied to the teeth which have been shaved a little to make place for the veneer. The veneers will take some time to get bonded to the teeth with a special chemical so that bonding is strong and everlasting. When so much background work has been carried out to fix the veneers, there is a minimal chance of them to fall off.
But as things go, on a few occasions porcelain veneers also break or fall off due to a variety of reasons.
The main reasons for breaking and falling off porcelain veneers are many.
The common reasons are as follows.
- Damage to the frontal face, Habit of grinding teeth, Tooth decay behind the veneer, Eating very hard foods like ice or candy and sugary sticky foods regularly.
- When there is a strong impact on your face, the teeth takes the brunt, it may cause the porcelain veneers to loosen from the bond it has with the original teeth. Damage to the face has a natural consequence of teeth taking some of the damage.
- Many people have a nervous habit of grinding teeth when they are angry or upset. This habit may lead to loosen up the veneers from the bond that attaches them to the original teeth and may cause a falloff the veneers.
- Sometimes the tooth decays and the decay causes the chemical in the bond to loosen making the porcelain veneers detaching from the tooth and fall off.
- Ice is one of the hardest food to bite into. If you keep biting onto hard foods like ice, and candy, it will cause the veneers either to break or loosen up and fall.
- Similarly, sticky foods like candy and sugary sweets stick to the teeth and are difficult to remove, causing veneers to lose contact with the original tooth.
For whatever reason if a porcelain veneer breaks, or chips or falls down, what is one to do?
In almost all cases, the dentist takes great care in checking the status of the teeth before doing work on the teeth for veneers, because to apply the veneer in the front of the teeth, the dentist has to shave off a little layer of enamel on the teeth. Once the enamel is scraped, it cannot grow again. Therefore, utmost care is taken before the veneers are fixed on teeth. So, what you should do in the unlikely event of the veneer breaking or falling off is to keep them safe, and call the dentist immediately. It is vital that you get an appointment with the dentist within a day or two of the event. In many cases, the dentist will be able to reapply the veneer which has come off with little difficulty. But in the event that the veneer is broken beyond repair, then the dentist will order a new veneer and during the time the veneer gets ready, he will apply a temporary treatment till the broken piece is replaced with a new one.
You should never try to glue back the fallen off veneer yourself. If you feel very embarrassed by the look of your teeth, than use drugstore glue to stick it back on the teeth till you see your dentist which should be in a day or two of the mishap.
