Staining on the edges of my porcelain veneers.

I had 6 porcelain veneers done in the fall of 2003 on the my upper front. My cosmetic dentist indicated that they would last at least 15 years. She did a beautiful job; however I have developed heavy black staining around the margins of the upper left two teeth. I am very meticulous about brushing and flossing and now very disappointed. My gum line receded around these teeth exposing the areas uncovered by the veneers. So now i am faced with replacing the veneers. Shall I try Supersmile Toothpaste – is it too late due to heavy staining? should I consider crowns instead of veneers? are crowns suseptible to margin staining? thank you for your help!
– Michele in Delaware

Michele,
Your porcelain veneers may have looked nice when you got them, but they are showing a flaw. But the good news is that I don’t believe you need to have them replaced. The staining is probably occurring because the bonding composite is rough or has become rough, and it has become exposed. I don’t know that for sure without seeing you, but that’s the most likely reason. An excellent cosmetic dentist should be able to polish those areas, which will take away the stain and make them so they won’t attract stain so easily in the future.

Supersmile toothpaste won’t help, and neither will any tooth bleaching. Your veneers appear to need an excellent polishing job, nothing more.