If you have dental veneers, you may need to replace them in the coming year. These porcelain shells don’t last forever; even the best ones wear down and break over time. Luckily enough, learning whether you should get replacements isn’t that hard. Your Santa Clarita dentist can walk you through how to tell if it’s time to switch to new shells. To that end, keep reading to discover four signs your veneers need replacing.
Your Veneers are Chipped & Cracked
It may seem obvious, but it bears saying that you should replace veneers if they’re chipped or cracked. They won’t improve your smile’s looks in that state.
Despite their durability, veneers can chip and crack as time passes. Actions like eating hard foods, grinding your teeth, and clenching your jaw even make damage probable. Once that happens, your newly chipped or cracked veneers will have cosmetic and functional issues; they’d look bad and affect your ability to talk and chew.
Your Veneers Look Dark & Stained
Once veneers look dark and stained, they don’t do your grin much good. You’d do well to replace them with new ones at that point.
Don’t forget that pigmented foods and drinks can darken veneers, especially if you have a lot. The fact that the shells are stain-resistant doesn’t mean they’re stain-proof; even porcelain can get discolored. Since you can’t whiten veneers, you’d then need to replace them if brushing doesn’t fix their discoloration.
Your Supporting Teeth Have Decayed
Once the supporting teeth start decaying, you should switch to new veneers. Sticking to the old ones won’t help your smile much.
All in all, each veneer is made to stick tightly to its underlying tooth. This design ensures the shell blocks debris, harmful bacteria, and other materials, keeping your smile safe. Still, a veneer can start to loosen (or even detach) if its supporting tooth decays. It’d then be best to remove the shell, treat the decayed area, and get a replacement.
Your Gums are Receding
Another sign you should replace veneers is that your gums are receding. In that situation, your porcelain shells just won’t be effective.
The problem is that receded gums can make veneers separate. From there, you’d see a visible gap between the shells and their teeth that makes them look fake. The veneers could then come loose or fall out of your mouth entirely. Assuming you want to avoid those outcomes, you’ll need to quickly replace the shells by then.
You should now know when veneers need replacing, so see your dentist if you show relevant signs. They’ll gladly keep your smile pretty by giving you new porcelain shells!
About the Practice
A New Smile Dental is based in Santa Clarita, CA. Led by four fantastic dentists, our practice aims to give whole families the vibrant grins they’ve dreamed of. That means we offer preventive, cosmetic, and even restorative treatments, all tailored to your mouth and its unique needs. Our team can just as easily improve smiles with veneers as assess them with dental checkups. For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (661)-251-0480.