I had four porcelain veneers put on my front teeth and now the two front ones have turned gray. I’m quite distressed about this because I wanted pretty teeth and paid quite a bit for these. Now my teeth are three different colors. The white veneers, the gray veneers, and my yellow natural teeth. My dentist said it is because the front teeth are darker. He can make them thicker to make them match. If that were the case, why were they white at first? My teeth underneath wouldn’t have turned darker after the veneers were placed, would they?
Avery
Dear Avery,
I am going to be blunt and tell you that your so-called cosmetic dentist is in over his head. Do not let him do anything else to your teeth, especially make them thicker. You could end up with horse teeth. First, let’s talk about your natural teeth. He should have had you do teeth whitening before your porcelain veneers were placed. This is an inexpensive and a simple way to make sure the adjacent teeth blend in with the teeth that have veneers.
Second, the “dark teeth” were not dark when you had the veneers first placed if I understand you correctly. If they were white before and then have grayed, that is a problem with the bonding. It sounds like there is a gap between your teeth and the bonded veneers. This is allowing food and other bacteria the get between the tooth and the back of the veneers. This needs to be fixed because it will lead to decay. The good news is this gives you a reason to get a refund from this dentist and have the work done properly.
My suggestion is you go to the mynewsmile.com website. Every cosmetic dentist they recommend is prescreened for their technical and artistic ability. They are among the best cosmetic dentists in the country. They can give you a beautiful smile makeover.
This blog is brought to you by La Jolla Dentist Dr. Stephen Doan.