Dental veneers are pretty sturdy, but they can chip under certain circumstances.What happens when you chip a veneer will depend on the severity of the chip and the base material of your veneer. So, my veneer chipped. Now what?
My Veneer Chipped: Now What?
This guide will help you to get an idea of what you might expect, but your cosmetic dentist in Bloomington may have a different suggestion based on your individual situation.
Potential Causes of Chipped Veneers
Porcelain veneers last an average of 10 to 15 years, but there are cases where they can last as long as 30 with regular dental visits and high-quality daily care. By contrast, your average composite veneer may last 3 to 5 years.
As your veneers get to the end of their natural lifespan, they may be more prone to chipping. With that said, several behaviors could cause your veneers to chip at any time.
These are some of the most common suspects.
- Teeth grinding
- Chewing on fingernails
- Chewing ice
- Using your teeth as tools to open packaging, etc.
- Biting down on hard candy
All of these behaviors are harmful to your natural teeth as well as your veneers. While they usually result in microfractures to natural teeth that eventually cause visible damage, your dental veneers are more likely to show immediate damage.
Avoiding Damage to Your Veneers
Refraining from chewing on very hard items and non-food items is one of the easiest ways to prevent damage to your dental veneers. In addition to avoiding directly harmful practices, you can also prevent damage by caring for your veneers as instructed by your dentist.
For the most part dental veneer care is pretty much the same as normal dental care. You will just want to make sure you’re using a non-abrasive toothpaste and a soft-bristled brush. You will also need to switch to PTFE floss if you’re using nylon floss.
Other than that, you should just go to see your dentist every six months for your normal check-up. During this appointment, your dentist will be able to identify potential weak points in your daily routine to help keep your teeth healthy and your veneers looking brand new.
Repair or Replace: Chipped Veneers
It’s pretty rare, but in some cases your whole veneer could fall off. As long as you retain the veneer, the piece can usually be rebonded to your tooth with little fuss. However, most cases with direct damage to a dental veneer involve a jagged break or chip, not a simple debonding.
In cases where there is a relatively small chip on a composite veneer, a repair may be possible. A chipped porcelain veneer cannot be repaired. As a result, the vast majority of chipped veneers will need a total replacement.
The good news is that the process should be simpler than the first time you had your veneers done. You’ve already taken molds and picked your preferred shape. The only real difference is that your dentist may have to do a bit of color matching if the rest of your veneers are significantly older.
Keeping Your Veneers Pristine
The good news is that dental veneer complications are pretty rare. With your porcelain veneers in Bloomington, you can generally expect to go ten or more years in between replacements or repairs as long as you’re following your dentist’s care instructions.
If you have any further questions on caring for your veneers, preventing damage, and replacing broken veneers talk to your local cosmetic dentist. They will help you make sure you’re using the right tools and techniques to keep your veneers looking like new.
