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By Arthur Kezian

Unfortunately, it’s easier than you think to damage a dental veneer.  Something as simple as grinding your teeth, eating something sticky, or accidentally chomping down on your fork can make it fall off or crack.  Even if you’re as careful as can be, the type of cement your cosmetic dentist used to install your veneers in the first place can make them fall off.  So can a tooth that wasn’t perfectly healthy when the veneer was first installed.

Recementing Dental Veneer

OK, so porcelain dental veneers face a number of threats.  If yours fall victim to any of them, what do you need to do to get them looking perfect again?

Whether your dental veneer fell out or cracked, it’s got to be taken care of quickly.  After all, your veneers sit over your front teeth – meaning your smile isn’t going to look right until you have a Los Angeles cosmetic dentist fix the damage. 

How exactly will he fix it?

The best-case scenario is to have your cosmetic porcelain dental veneer recemented.  Like the term suggests, your cosmetic dentist will simply take your existing veneer and re-adhere it to your tooth.  Not only is this the fastest option (because your dentist won’t have to take the time to have a brand new porcelain dental veneer manufactured for you), it’s also the most cost-effective option. 

Can every dental veneer be recemented?

Unfortunately, no. 

If your dental veneer came off whole, it can likely be recemented.  However, if your dental veneer has chipped or cracked, your cosmetic dentist will likely need to start over with a brand new veneer.

Why would a veneer slide off whole in the first place?

The most common reason for a dental veneer that slid off whole and needs to be recemented is failed bonding adhesive.  After all, without strong cement, your veneer won’t be able to cling to the front of your tooth. 

What leads to a bonding adhesive failure?

• Most commonly, it’s due to age.  As a general rule, porcelain dental veneers have a lifespan of 10-15 years.  Once you’re past that time frame, the bonding adhesive can start to lose its effectiveness.
• Is there anything you can do to spot old bonding adhesive BEFORE the dental veneer actually falls off?

Sometimes. If you look carefully, there are usually signs that your bonding adhesive is starting to wear out.  If you are starting to see stains accumulate, or if you have noticed that tiny flecks of adhesive are starting to come off, there’s a good chance that your bonding adhesive is nearing the end of its lifespan.

This is a perfect example of why it’s so important to maintain a relationship with your cosmetic dentist long after your veneers are installed.  An expert dentist has a much better chance of spotting any potential bonding adhesive issues than you do, so be sure to go in for routine check-ups.

What if it hasn’t been long enough for the adhesive to wear out?

Sometimes, the bonding adhesive can have issues right from the beginning.  The tell-tale sign of weak bonding adhesive is a relatively new dental veneer that slides right off.  If the bonding adhesive is holding tight, your veneer won’t do that.  Instead, any threats to the veneer – like if you have an irregular bite pattern, or if you like to chew on ice cubes – will result in a chip or a crack, rather than a veneer that slides off entirely.

But not all dental veneer recementing patients are victims of failed bonding adhesive.  In some cases, the adhesive is doing exactly what it’s supposed to.  Instead, your actual tooth is to blame.

In order for your porcelain dental veneer to stay in place, it needs a strong tooth to hang onto.  If your tooth is seriously decayed, it may not have the structure needed to anchor a veneer.  That’s why a good Los Angeles cosmetic dentist will do a thorough inspection of your teeth before you get your veneers in the first place – to make sure they’re structurally sound.

• However, just because your dentist gave you the all-clear doesn’t mean that you can’t develop tooth decay later.  Porcelain dental veneers may cover the front of your tooth, but they don't act as little bacteria shields.  Germs can still make their way beyond the veneer and decay your tooth.  That’s why it’s so important to maintain a solid brushing and flossing regimen long after your dental veneers are installed. 
• And, remember, in order to make room for your veneer, your cosmetic dentist had to file away a small portion of your tooth’s enamel – the natural shield that helps protect your tooth from bacteria and other threats. If tooth decay is to blame, your cosmetic dentist will have to take care of it first.  Then, the two of you can talk about whether or not recementing is possible.
• Now that you know when recementing is a legitimate solution, what can you expect from the process itself?

A set of dental veneers that look and feel as good as new!

An expert Los Angeles cosmetic dentist will know exactly how to prepare both your tooth AND the dental veneer so that the recementing process is a success.  The process itself is just like what you went through originally.  Your cosmetic dentist will apply the cement to the inside of the veneer and place it over the front of your tooth.  After that, he’ll use a special curing light to seal everything in place.  By the time he’s done, no one will be able to tell that your dental veneer ever had an issue. 

Finally, it’s important to point out that you need to take special precautions with a dental veneer that has fallen off.  If the veneer is intact, you’ll need to protect it until you can get in to see your cosmetic dentist.  Carefully wrap the veneer in a tissue, and place it in something hard-sided (like a medicine bottle, for example), so that it doesn’t have a chance to get damaged in transit.

As you can probably guess, an existing porcelain dental veneer can typically only be recemented if it wasn’t seriously damaged.  If your dental veneer suffered a significant crack or a chip – either in your mouth or in the car on the way to your dentist’s office – even the most experienced cosmetic dentist in Los Angeles won’t be able to repair it.  In this case, your dentist would have to start over from scratch with a brand new veneer.

And whatever you do, NEVER try to recement a dental veneer yourself!  You don’t have the training or the tools that an expert Los Angeles cosmetic dentist has.  Plus, there’s a good chance you’ll do serious damage to your tooth in the process!

Bottom line – if something goes wrong with your porcelain dental veneer, talk to your cosmetic dentist right away about all of the potential solutions.  The future of your smile depends on it!