Used Whitestrips on My Porcelain Veneers

I’ve had porcelain veneers for quite a few years. They’ve always held up and looked just like the day I had them placed. I switched dentists because of a move and now, suddenly, they’ve lost their shine and started picking up stains. I didn’t know what to do, so I used whitestrips to try to brighten them up. I think that was a mistake, because now my porcelain veneers are a lot darker than the rest of my teeth. What do I do? I’m afraid to go back to my new dentist because I”m worried they did something to damage them.

Amanda –  MN

Amanda,

It is possible the hygienist did damage your porcelain veneers if they used something like a Prophy Jet during your cleaning. It will take the glaze off the veneers, leaving them vulnerable to stains.

The reason the other teeth are whiter now is because only natural tooth structure responds to teeth whitening. Your natural teeth are getting whiter, which makes the veneers look even more stained.

There are ways to restore the glaze, but it will take an expert cosmetic dentist to do it. If your new dentist’s office carelessly removed the glaze, they won’t know the procedure.

The first thing I’d do is have an expert cosmetic dentist look at them to make sure that is the problem. Then he or she will know the best option for repairing the damage: restoration or replacement.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. David Newkirk.