Question:
I have two porcelain veneers on my upper front teeth that I had
put on in 1994. One of them just chipped on the bottom. Can it be
repaired or is it likely that I will have to get a replacement veneer?
Do replacement veneers require new impressions and everything? I
have moved since having the veneers done and don't know whether I
should drive 50+ miles down to my old dentist to have it repaired or
go to my new dentist (who I haven't seen yet since I just moved three
months ago.) Anybody have any advice?
Answer:
Resin repairs to porcelain veneers do not typically last many years.
A new veneer is probably indicated. If your dentist has a CEREC machine,
your new porcelain veneer can be fabricated from an optical image, and
milled in 8-12 minutes while you wait. One appointment.
I'm not sure if my old dentist has the CEREC
machine or not. He didn't when I had my initial veneers made but I'll
have to check to see if he has started using it since then.
Can you recommend any dentists in the Santa Monica, CA area that use
the CEREC machine? Getting a new veneer in just one appointment is a
very appealing option.
There is a web-page listing some of the users by geographical region. Let
me know if I need to hunt for it.
You have all the vita shades (standard and esthetic), plus some more options
with other brand blocks. All the porcelains can be custom stained in
minutes. You can place stained adhesives under to tint the shade. You can
do any tooth in the mouth. If you are doing an anterior which is heavily
colored, then you might let a lab technician do the staining. It is great
for veneers since most veneers do not get custom staining, only cement
tinting. It will cut a veneer in minutes. If you are matching natural
enamel, a polished surface blends in better than a glazed one.
You can create any shade or color you want with Cerec if you have a glazing
oven. Without the oven, you can get any Vita shade (standard or extended),
Plus you have an assortment of different translucencies and shades from the
other block manufacturers. Unless a tooth has blotches, crazing marks, etc.
which need to be copied, you can use the CEREC block straight off the mill
and it looks very good. It will have better translucency than any PFM and
can be stained as nicely as any Procera.
I do not see many teeth which need to be masked with veneers. The veneers I
do are mostly for better strength (compared to large composites) and for
contour changes. We bleach first to get the color we want under the veneer.
Doing it this way, the veneers match very well right off the mill. I just
replaced a broken veneer last week. The CEREC veneer was just as esthetic
(or more) than the lab fabricated one next to it.
A thin veneer of 2M-1 porcelain over a tooth of the same shade will polish
up to the same luster as enamel and look great. You need to see the vast
array of shades available right now.
