You might hope your veneers will last a lifetime when you first get them. Once they’re on your teeth, they can feel so durable that you don’t think they can break. Plus, they look so smooth, white, and shiny during the initial placement — how could such material ever degrade?
While veneers can last for 15+ years with proper care, chances are you’ll need to change them out eventually. To know when it’s time for your veneer replacement in West Bloomfield, keep watch for these three signs.
The Veneers Are Worn
However hard they seem at first, veneers can and do wear down over time. Even porcelain ones, while durable, can break if you don’t care for them.
One example of the wearing process is when veneers get rough around the edges. As you eat or chew, they get scratched and lose their shape. After a point, this leads to cracks or chips in their material.
If you feel rough edges on your veneers when you run your tongue over them, contact your dentist to see if they need replacing.
The Veneers Are Coming Undone
Aged veneers can detach from your teeth for various reasons, thus requiring that you get new ones. These reasons include:
- The veneer’s supporting tooth has decayed: Although veneers are durable, if your tooth isn’t, they can start to separate from it despite their prior attachment.
- Poor dental hygiene and gum disease: If you don’t take care of your mouth, your gums could decay, creating a gap between them and your veneers.
- The veneers were improperly applied: If dental veneers aren’t applied correctly, they can fall off of your teeth, requiring additional dentist visits. Proper installation means filing away some enamel from your tooth and applying the veneer with a potent bonding agent.
The Veneer is Darkening
If your veneers have darkened, it could be that they’re stained. Just like your teeth, food and drink can stain your veneers, especially items like coffee, cola, and red wine. If the stains aren’t lifting despite deep brushing, they may need to be replaced.
Dental cement is another possible cause of veneer darkening. This cement bonds a veneer to the front of your tooth and, with time, naturally darkens. As it does, you may see the darkening through the veneer itself. There’s no way to lighten the cement, so your only choice would be to remove said veneer so a replacement could be applied.
It’s not ideal when your veneers stop working and cause your teeth to look worse. Still, by monitoring for the signs, you’ll know when you need to replace them so your smile can return to its former glory!
About the Practice
Lakeview Family Dental is based in Keego Harbor, West Bloomfield Township, and Southfield, MI. Headed by multiple experienced dentists, they provide dental care for the entire family, treating adult and pediatric patients alike. They also offer cosmetic and restorative services, ranging from whitening and porcelain veneers to dental crowns and implants. For more information or to schedule an appointment, the practice can be reached at their website or by phone at (248)-363-3304.