How to Restore Porcelain on Teeth

Porcelain veneers resemble natural teeth in both look and strength. However, like natural teeth they can wear over time, particularly on the biting edges. Porcelain veneers overlay the natural tooth and do not have the support of the tooth root or jaw when biting on hard foods. Over time, chipping or cracking can occur and new porcelain veneers must be placed to restore the look of your teeth. Restoring porcelain veneers to teeth will require two visits: one to remove the damaged veneers and create a cast for the new veneer and one to place the new porcelain veneer once it has been constructed.

Things You'll Need

• Cosmetic dentist

Instructions

1. Make an appointment with your cosmetic dentist as soon as you notice your porcelain veneers crack or chip. If the veneer becomes unattached, store the tooth in a container to take to the dentist. If the veneer is undamaged, the dentist may be able to replace it with some new adhesive.

2. Remove damaged porcelain veneers. The dentist will notch or score the damaged veneer to allow it to pop off. Alternatively, the dentist may shave off the veneer.

3. Evaluate other veneers. The dentist will check the other veneers in your mouth and may decide to replace all of the veneers to prevent future problems. If your veneers are older than 10 years, the dentist may decide to replace all veneers with updated technologies.

4. Clean and polish teeth to remove old adhesives and create a clean surface for the new porcelain veneers.

5. Recast the tooth or teeth. A new dental impression will need to be taken to create the new veneer. The dentist will provide you with temporary veneers to cover the exposed teeth until the new porcelain veneers can be places.

6. Return to the cosmetic dentist to have new porcelain veneers placed.

7. Apply adhesive to the tooth and set the new porcelain veneers.

References

• DentalFind.com: Fixing Porcelain Veneers
• DentalFind.com: Removing Porcelain Veneers