Advice on replacing veneers but little/no enamel

[Ermintrude77]

When I was 15 (1992) I had 6 veneers put on my top front teeth since then I have had a couple replaced a few times due to them breaking (all my fault - I was kicked in the face by a horse). I've been told that I have little or no enamel left on those teeth and now due to the ageing process my gums have receded and you can see where they are glued to my teeth and the cement has been stained. Is there anyway I can get this fixed or do I have to just put up with it? Thanks

[Dr Pav Khaira]

There is almost always a way to fix it. You would of course need a full consultation to assess your problems

I hope this helps

Kindest regards

[davidbloom]

Essentially I feel there are 3 options



1/Accept the staining

2/Try to remove the stain by polishing

3/Replace the veneers- well fitting veneers should not stain at the margin but if there is a significant change in gum position – as may occur over time – the junction may become visible, particularly if there is a noticeable difference between the tooth and veneers shades.



When a veneer is replaced it will generally need to be cut off and care needs to be taken not to remove excessive amounts of underlying tooth. It would only really be possible to assess if there is enamel remaining to bond to once the veneer has been removed. The most reliable bond is to enamel, but dentine bonding can be performed- it may not however be as stable over time.



If there is no remaining enamel, you could consider crowns, but these are more destructive of natural tooth and so further down the restorative ’ cycle’



Regards



David Bloom

Past President BACD

Accredited member BACD