Problems With Veneers: Why Do Some People Regret Them
Prathyusha Itikarlapalli
- Content Writer
Key Takeaways
- Veneers enhance the smile's appearance by correcting tooth color, size, shape, and alignment. They are a top-rated cosmetic dental treatment that is not covered by insurance.
- Getting veneers requires a proper color match, and compromising on this creates an unnatural look. The procedure makes some permanent changes to the tooth structure, causing tooth sensitivity, one of the most common problems with veneers.
- Misaligned veneers leave rough edges, causing cavities, gum soreness, and sensitivity. Veneers discolor with time or develop cracks and chips with strong physical force, requiring replacement.
Dental Veneers as a Game Changer
Not every person has perfect teeth. Cracks, broken or chipped appearances, gaps, and other irregularities can ruin the completeness of your smile. Further, a few suffer from tooth stains due to lifestyle habits. The overall impact can be a loss of confidence, a hesitant smile, and difficulty in social interactions. Dental veneers are slim, tooth-colored shells used to cover the front surface of teeth. They hide the existing flaws of the teeth and impart radiance to your smile. Veneers are indeed the top-rated smile makeover procedure for a celebrity-like look. Thanks to the natural look that veneers offer, they are a popular cosmetic dentistry technique. Every cosmetic dental treatment has its pros and cons, and dental veneers are no exception.
Is There a Downside to Veneers?
While many love their transformed smiles due to veneers, some regret their decision. Dentists should elaborate on the pros and cons of the procedure before treatment. Some unprofessional dentists carry out the treatment, causing irreparable trouble for patients. What they don’t tell you about veneers is that they come with potential downsides—issues that can impact comfort, appearance, and longevity.
What Can Go Wrong With Veneers?
Understanding the risks and side effects before any treatment is crucial. Being aware of potential problems will help you choose the right dentist, ask the right questions, and ensure the results last longer. Below are some common problems with tooth veneers. We categorized them based on immediate and long-lasting effects for a better understanding.
Immediate Problems With Getting Veneers
Some candidates experience immediate problems with dental veneers due to improper fit, incorrect alignment, and the body’s reaction toward the material. Choosing a qualified, skilled and experienced dental professional can avoid these problems. Well-experienced dentists with adequate skill sets can weigh your pros and cons and help you make a better choice.
Alignment Problems
Veneers are crafted using a tailored approach so they snugly fit on the natural teeth. Ensuring a proper fit is essential, as an improper fit can cause misalignment and bite issues. While loose overhanging veneers may detach and fall off, the rough edges extend too far over the gums, irritating them. More importantly, veneers with alignment problems disturb the aesthetics, showing up as uneven-sized, ruining your overall smile appearance.
Limited Knowledge of Choosing the Right Type
Dental veneers primarily vary with the type of material they are made from. Dental materials like porcelain and composite are the top choices. While they significantly vary with the preparation, installation, and cost, one should have a clear picture of their aesthetics as well. Porcelain veneers are highly durable. However, they require more teeth preparation. Composite veneers, on the other hand, are cost-effective approaches with less preparation. However, they are more prone to staining. Furthermore, some candidates exhibit allergic reactions to resin material used for veneer bonding.[1] These allergic reactions generally show up within 1-3 days after treatment and require expert care.[2] Your dentist must understand your medical history and explain the pros and cons specific to your case. Choosing the wrong type without prior knowledge can result in discomfort, frequent repairs, and unexpected maintenance costs.
Mis-Match Issues
The color of natural teeth varies with genetics, enamel thickness, lifestyle, and food habits. Some patients naturally have yellowish or grayer teeth. Dental veneers are a customized approach. Dentists match veneer shades with existing natural teeth to attain a natural look while installing them. They use shade guides and digital technology to pick the most appropriate shade. A too-bright or too-dull shade can stand out unnaturally, impacting the overall aesthetics.
Long-term problems with veneers
Wrong dental veneer treatment can pose a risk to overall dental health. Understanding veneers side effects long term basis will help you adopt preventive measures for long-lasting success.
Gum Problems and Tooth Decay
Perfect veneers are a right fit on prepared teeth, leaving no gaps or hanging edges. Veneers with the wrong fit can severely damage oral health primarily due to tiny gaps and rough edges. While the sharp edges rub over the soft gum tissues, causing redness and soreness, the rough edges leave tiny crevices, allowing food to trap and aiding plaque build-up. This significantly contributes to tooth infection and dental cavity formation. Further, the continuous irritation caused due to rough edges can lead to gum recession, exposing tooth roots, which further ruin the periodontal health.
On the other hand, having too many gaps between veneers and gums can cause food particles to get trapped in between, creating offer a positive environment for the growth of harmful bacteria. In addition to this, plaque build-up can further loosen the veneers, leading to detachment. When asked about the right cause for this, gum problems with veneers are due to incorrect placement. Dental veneers are more of a craft. A qualified and skilled dental professional can ensure the right fit for precise outcomes.
Irreversible Nature of the Procedure
As part of veneer installation, dentists remove some enamel from the existing tooth structure. This makes room for the upcoming veneers so they fit well without protruding out or feeling bulky. While this ensures a natural look, enamel removal is an irreversible process. When you decide to remove your veneers, you will definitely require repeated procedures. Adding to this is the veneer's life period. On average, dental veneers last for 10-15 years after they require replacement. You will be left with no choice but a replacement option. While well-placed veneers can serve their purpose effectively, committing to them means a lifetime reliance on restorations.
Tooth Sensitivity
Dental veneers cause temporary tooth sensitivity.[3] Veneer installation requires enamel removal, which exposes the inner dentin layer. The dentin layer contains narrow, fluid-filled, open dentin tubules that lead to tooth pulp.[4] A depleted enamel portion exposes these tubules to external stimuli like temperature, causing sensitivity issues that subside gradually.
Veneer Discoloration
Dental veneers catch stains depending on the material used and its porosity. Porous dental materials like composite resin catch stains easily, similar to natural teeth. This is indeed one of the most common problems with composite veneers. They catch stains from foods like blueberries, red wine, and coffee, showing discoloration with time. This can lower the radiance of your smile with time. However, porcelain veneers are smoother, less porous, and do not stain easily. The longevity of results varies with the choice of veneer type. Furthermore, unlike natural teeth, veneer materials do not respond to teeth-whitening gels. You cannot whiten your teeth after veneer treatment. All you can do is attend regular dental cleaning sessions and avoid staining foods.
Physical Damage and Replacement
Dental veneers are thin shells designed not to create a bulky appearance. Because of their wafer-thin makeup, veneers are susceptible to fractures and can easily break. They may chip or develop cracks easily with a strong bite or physical force. For this reason, veneers are not suitable for candidates who play contact sports. Further, veneers require replacement in case of physical damage, as the underlying teeth look awkward. So, the decision to veneer will be a full-time commitment that requires careful commitment.
Problems With Pop-On Veneers
Although pop-on or snap-on veneers are a quick approach, reducing the crafting and installation procedures, their outcomes are temporary. These removable veneers are often marketed as a one-fit-all solution for radiance. However, studies have shown a large proportion of patients expressing dissatisfaction with the outcomes. These fake DIY veneers cause severe bite issues and discomfort. Since these are non-customized veneers, they do not fit the jawline, increasing the risk of oral health issues like ulcerations, plaque build-up, and caries formation. [5]
Veneers Expensive Pricing: An Indirect Problem
While gum health and longevity issues are a direct concern of dental veneers, their expensive pricing is another problem. Further, veneers, being cosmetic dental procedures, are considered elective procedures. They are not covered by dental insurance, and candidates must pay out of pocket for their dental veneer treatment.
How To Avoid Problems With Veneers?
Experts recommend making a wise choice upfront in order to prevent complications down the road. It’s crucial to consider factors like the right dentist, proper care, and realistic expectations rather than rushing into treatment. Consider these points for a clear decision.
- Attend a comprehensive dental examination to evaluate candidacy. Your dentist should have a clear idea of who should not get veneers. Having gum diseases, compromised oral health, cavities, or worn-down enamel will make you ineligible for dental veneers.
- Choose a qualified dentist who can assess your candidature to ensure that veneers are the right fit for you. Skilled and experienced dentists can assure you of natural results while minimizing the chances of side effects.
- Look for veneer treatment before-and-after photographs. While positive transformations indicate the effectiveness of the treatment, bad veneers photos on social media platforms are a warning sign of subpar work or inexperienced professionals.
- Veneer success is not just confined to longevity. Using patient photographs, identify the problems with veneers before and after. Check for color match, malignment, bulkiness, and rough or unfinished edges. While these factors have aesthetic importance, they have a significant impact on gum and overall oral health.
While dental veneers are a cosmetic procedure, a wrong choice can hurt your oral health. Dental veneers with malalignment or poor fit can cause gum irritation, recession, dental caries, sensitivity, and bite issues. Poor material quality or errors in crafting can cause chipping or cracking, requiring replacement.
Do your research, consult trusted professionals, and invest in a smile that’s both beautiful and healthy. Or make it easy! Simply sign up with Envoy Health today and connect with top-rated dental specialists for a flawless, healthy smile!
References
- My Veneers Led To A Painful ‘Elephant Skin’ Allergic Reaction — Here’s How
- Allergic Reactions To Dental Materials – A Review
- Patient Awareness Of Soft-Tissue Irritants After Placement Of Porcelain Laminate Veneers
- Dentin Hypersensitivity: Etiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment; A Literature Review
- User Insights into Fake Snap-on Veneers: Perceptions and Experiences
Disclaimer
The information in this article is for educational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Always consult your doctor before starting any treatments.
Dental veneers are cosmetic procedures with side effects like tooth sensitivity, caries, gum irritation, and recession. The choice of veneer type is crucial for the longevity and success of treatment. Some materials, like composite resin, are more prone to chipping and stains. Having a clear understanding of veneer type, in addition to expectations, is much required aspect. Beyond this, choosing the right dental professional who can access your candidature while delivering effective outcomes is another important point.
Improperly aligned veneers or those with poor fit can cause severe oral health issues. The rough overhanging edges can become a breeding ground for harmful oral bacteria, causing cavities. Untreated cavities are serious when the bacteria spread to other teeth or body parts like the heart or brain.
The downside of having veneers is investing out of pocket for an expensive procedure. Like any other medical procedure, veneers carry some risks, like gum recession, discoloration, chipping, cracking, gum irritation, tooth sensitivity, and cavity formation. Beyond the side effects, getting veneers creates permanent changes in your teeth. In case of physical damage, you will mandatorily need a replacement rather than a reversal.
Getting veneers carries risks of falling off, chipping, cracking, discoloration, tooth sensitivity, and caries formation. Choosing the right dentist for a meticulous candidacy evaluation and precise veneer design and placement can make all the difference.
The dark side of dental veneers that no one tells you about is that they are costly and not covered by insurance. Investing in veneers requires a long-term commitment, as the procedure makes some irreversible changes to tooth enamel. Candidates need to adhere to proper aftercare for the effectiveness of the results. Veneers may cause gum irritation and recession, or the teeth below the veneers may catch cavities when they are not fixed or cared for properly.
Although the chances of risk after dental veneers are low, some candidates may experience receding gums and dental cavities later in life. Over time, rough edges on veneers may rub over the gums, causing irritation and recession that may later give chances for infection and gum diseases.
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