Dental veneers are a popular way to enhance the appearance of your smile, but just like your natural teeth, they are not invisible. A common concern patients face is what to do if a veneer gets damaged, and whether a chipped veneer can be replaced. In this article, we address this question.
Can You Replace a Chipped Veneer?
You can replace a chipped veneer. Moreover, it is strongly advisable to replace a chipped veneer as soon as possible to prevent bacteria and food residue from entering the tooth underneath the veneer, which can cause infections. Damaged veneers are typically replaced if a large portion of the veneer is missing.
When Can Your Veneer Be Repaired?
In some cases, your dental veneer may be repaired instead of being entirely replaced with a new one. If only a small portion is damaged, your dentist may be able to smooth the area or repair it with bonding material (resin composite). This procedure is more commonly used for composite veneers, since resin can be directly applied and shaped to restore your veneer.
Repairing a porcelain veneer might be more challenging, since the repair material—resin composite—can sometimes be distinguishable from the rest of the porcelain veneer.
What Is the Procedure of Veneer Replacement?
The process of replacing a damaged veneer typically involves the following steps:
- Removal of the old, damaged veneer
- Examination of the tooth underneath the veneer to ensure that it is healthy and ready to receive a new veneer
- Cleaning the tooth surface to remove old bonding cement and create a fresh surface for the new veneer to adhere to reshaping or filing the tooth slightly to ensure the replacement veneer fits properly (if needed)
- Making an impression of your tooth to create a custom replacement veneer
- Temporary veneer placement to protect the tooth while the permanent veneer is being made
- Bonding of the new veneer to the tooth
Can I Remove a Chipped Veneer Without Replacing It?
Dental veneers are a permanent cosmetic solution and can not be removed without replacing them with a new set. The reason for this is that a small portion of the enamel is removed by filing the tooth in preparation for the placement of veneers. Filing is necessary to ensure the veneers fit comfortably among other teeth.
Unfortunately, our teeth can not survive without their enamel, as they become vulnerable to infections. Therefore, once you have dental veneers, you will need to continue wearing them to protect your natural teeth underneath.
How to Prevent Your Veneers from Breaking?
We recommend following these rules to avoid damaging your dental veneers:
- Never use your teeth as tools, such as opening bottles, biting off plastic clothing tags, or cracking nuts.
- Do not chew or bite on complex objects, such as pens or nails.
- If you participate in contact or extreme sports, always wear a mouthguard, which absorbs the shock in the event of facial trauma.
- Avoid hard and crunchy foods, such as hard apples, popcorn, crackers, stale bread, hard chuck, etc.
- If you notice signs of bruxism (involuntary teeth grinding and jaw clenching), consult your dentist to address the issue. Bruxism can put extreme pressure on the teeth, causing your veneers and natural teeth to break or wear down quickly. One of the most common solutions for bruxism is wearing a mouth guard at night.
Get Dental Veneers at Baseline Dental
If you are considering dental veneers or require veneer maintenance services, do not hesitate to make an appointment with an experienced cosmetic dentist at Baseline Dental. Our specialists utilize high-quality materials and state-of-the-art techniques to deliver exceptional results to our clients.
