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Stain on the Edge of a Porcelain Veneer

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I have four porcelain veneers. They have stayed very white and I have been pleased with them. However, there was a change after my most recent dental cleaning. There is a small gray stain at the top of one of the veneers at the margin. I am not sure if it is damaged, but do find the timing suspect. Is there a way to fix this?

Miranda

Dear Miranda,

a porcelain veneer being placed on teeth

I am at a disadavantage here of not being able to examine your porcelain veneers. However, I can give you some generalities. Porcelain veneers are both very stain resistant as well as color stable. When they do stain, it is only because of a handful of reasons. In some cases, a porcelain veneer will pick up stains on the edges where the bonding is. These can be polished out and should be considered a regular part of maintenance. Your dentist can do it quickly with special polishing strips at your checkups about once a year or so. This does not sound like what you are talking about.

Another reason for stains on porcelain veneers is on the surface if the glaze that protects the veneers is damaged. This can happen if your hygienist uses something like a power prophy jet or acidulated fluoride during your appointment. This can also happen if you use over the counter whitening toothpaste for an extended period of time. Most people don’t realize that these type of toothpastes use abrasives to whiten the teeth. If this were the type of stains you were having, it would stain over the entire surface of the tooth. If you want a whitening toothpaste that is safe for porcelain veneers, I recommend Supersmile Toothpaste.

If your porcelain veneers are older, say about ten or twenty years, you could be dealing with microleakage. In this case, stain starts right at the edge of the porcelain veneer and involves one to two millimeters of the veneer. It would confine itself to the edge of the porcelain veneer. It this is not addressed it can turn into decay. Unfortunately, the way of repairing this is to replace the porcelain veneer.

In your place, I would go to an expert cosmetic dentist who is experienced in smile makeovers, like someone who is AACD accredited, and have them look at the stain to give you a precise diagnosis.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Dental Bonding Staining After Two Weeks

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I had dental bonding placed just two weeks ago. It has already started staining, which surprised me. I did some research and realized it could be my coffee drinking. It was also suggested that I purchase Supersmile Toothpaste. Do you know if this will allow me to continue drinking coffee or if I will have to give it up? My dentist never told me to stay away from anything in particular.

Carol

Dear Carol,

before and after dental bonding

While it is true that dental bonding will pick up stains after a while, a few weeks is way too soon. I have a supicion your dentist is just a bread and butter general dentist and not one who does any significant amount of cosmetic work in his practice.

Dental bonding is made with a blend of composite and inorganic fillers. There are a variety of fillers and sizes. Some examples of this are silica, quartz, and glass. Hybrid composites are strong, but because their particles are larger they cannot be glossed to a high shine. Microfills, because they are very small, can be polished to a luster as shiny as natural tooth enamel but are not as strong. There is a newer nanofill composite which claims to have both strength and polishability. Because it is new, we have to see how that pans out.

Most general dentists, who don’t do a lot of cosmetic work, will just keep hybrid composites on hand because they are looking for durability. But, when you are talking about appearance, you need a combination. A skilled cosmetic dentist will use the hybrid on the inner part of the tooth and then use the microfills on the surface on the teeth which allows them to get the high shine you need to protect your teeth from staining.

My suggestion is that you return to your dentist and share what you’ve learned here. He should be willing to improve the shine. If he is incapable, then you will have to go to an expert cosmetic dentist.

Whenever we are talking about aethetic dentistry of any kind, I recommend you see an AACD accredited dentist. These are the top cosmetic dentists in the country and can give you stunning results.

I don’t know what your dental bonding was for, whether it was to repair a chip, close a tooth gap, or purely to give you a smile makeover. If you were doing a smile makeover, you will get longer lasting, more beautiful results with porcelain veneers.

As for Supersmile toothpaste, it does an excellent job removing surface stains from dental work. However, if yours has lost its shine, it won’t be helpful there. Save the toothpaste for when your bonding is repaired.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Will Vaping Stain My New Porcelain Veneers?

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I just received six porcelain veneers and I really love them. I even tried to quit smoking as a means of keeping them healthy and white. Unfortunately, I found that a bit harder than expected. Instead of starting back to smoking, I sort of switched to vaping. I’m currently vaping four to five times a day. Can you tell me if this will cause stains on my porcelain veneers, the way smoking would?

Jenny

Dear Jenny,

a porcelain veneer being placed on teeth

Congratulations on both the porcelain veneers and your efforts in getting rid of tobacco in your life. I can tell you are making real efforts to improve things. One of the biggest benefits you will find from giving up tobacco is the increased health to your gums. There is a strong link between smoking and gum disease because the nicotine reduces the blood flow your gums need to stay healthy.

Is Vaping Healthier than Smoking?

Maybe. There is some debate. It certainly has less nicotine than smoking, which is why it is often used as a means of helping people to wean off of cigarettes. However, there is some concern about its impact on users’ lungs. In fact, there is a new issue dubbed popcorn lung that we think is a result of vaping. I would suggest you talk to your dentist about alternatives in order to help you truly quit smoking without trading one health risk for another.

Will Vaping Stain Your Teeth?

Vaping liquids contain propylene glycol/glycerin that are flavored, along with nicotine and water. Some of them contain added colors and some do not. Some good news is that porcelain veneers are quite stain resistant. They are even more stain resistant than your natural tooth structure. That does not mean they will not pick up stains if you are constantly vaping, but know that porcelain gives you the best chance of keeping a white smile.

Be aware though that most smiles are eight to ten teeth wide. You have six veneers, which means your natural teeth will be visible when you smile. Hopefully, your dentist had you whiten your teeth before getting your porcelain veneers so they could be close in color. If not, don’t panic. You can whiten them now without causing any damage to your new veneers.

I recommend that you use Supersmile Toothpaste to keep your porcelain veneers as well as your natural teeth clean, bright, and white. The natural teeth will stain before the porcelain veneers but you want to keep everything as clean as possible. This is a whitening toothpaste that is safe for both cosmetic dental work and natural tooth structure.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Did Listerine Turn My Porcelain Veneers Gray?

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I had ten porcelain veneers placed on my upper teeth about 7 months ago. I have tried to take very good care of them by brushing thoroughly with a hard toothbrush and using Listerine to keep the bacteria away. Now my porcelain veneers have turned gray over the entire surface. Could the Listerine have done this? They never really gave me any instructions on how to take care of them so now I wonder if I did something wrong without knowing it. If I damaged them, is there any way to fix it?

Mary Ellen

Dear Mary Ellen,

a porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth

 

I am sorry that your porcelain veneers have turned gray. I am disappointed that your dentist never gave you instructions on how to care for these. While Listerine can damage your porcelain veneers because of the alchohol content in it, the damage would be more to the margins, not the surface. There are a couple of things that could be the cause of them turning gray.

The first is that you do not actually have porcelain veneers. Some unethical dentists tell their patients they are getting porcelain veneers, when in reality they are only giving them composite bonding. This will deteriorate and stain much sooner than veneers.

A second possibility is that your dentist or hygienist did something to damage the surface of the porcelain veneers at your last cleaning. If they used something like a Power Prophy Jet or acidulated fluoride, it will destroy the glazing on your porcelain veneers.

Either way, it is your dentist’s fault that this happened. My recommendation is that you go to see an expert cosmetic dentist. Don’t tell them who did the work, just ask them if they are actually porcelain or composite and whether or not they can tell what is wrong with them. Look for someone who is AACD accredited. These are the top cosmetic dentists in the country and can give you some good feedback.

Caring For Your Porcelain Veneers

  1. Mouthwash is not really necessary, but if you feel you need it, make sure you look at the ingredients and only get some that is alchohol free.
  2. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush. These are actually better for your natural teeth too.
  3. Most over-the-counter toothpastes are fine, with the exception of whitening toothpastes. Whitening toothpastes tend to have abrasives in them, which you do not want. However, if you are looking for the best toothpaste for porcelain veneers, I would look into SuperSmile toothpaste. This brand is specifically designed for cosmetic dental work.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Why Has My Smile Makeover Lost its Shine?

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I am planning on asking my cosmetic dentist the same question I am asking you, but want to go into the appointment with as much knowledge as possible. Just over six months ago I had a total smile makeover done on my upper teeth with porcelain veneers. For the bottom teeth, we just did teeth whitening. I chose my cosmetic dentist very carefully and he is one of the tops in the field. The smile makeover itself was stunning and I was thrilled with the results. It cost me quite a bit of money, but I have looked at it as an investment. I’ve been very diligent with my oral hygiene as I want this to last for many years to come. My routine consists of brushing twice a day with Crest 3D Glamorous White Toothpaste, flossing once a day, and then rinsing with Listerine Whitening 6 in one with Fluoride. Despite all this effort, my porcelain veneers have lost their shine. Now they look quite dull instead of having the lovely sheen they had when I first came home with them. I went online where someone suggested I use baking soda. I did, but did not see any improvement. Can you help me here?

Samantha

Dear Samantha,

Woman with a beautiful smile

I am delighted to hear that you were satisfied with your smile makeover and that you are striving to take such good care of it. Let’s start with what you are using to care for your smile. Both the toothpaste and the mouthwash you are using can cause some minor damage to your porcelain veneers. Nothing to the extent you are describing, but they will contribute. Typical whitening toothpaste at the stores rely on abrasives to remove the stains on your teeth. With porcelain veneers, these abrasives will scratch the veneer and eventually, leave it very susceptible to staining. Listerine, like most mouthwashes, contains alcohol. This will also damage the veneer, but it mostly damages the bonding materials.

As I mentioned before, this isn’t really enough to lead to the amount to anything significant this quickly, I can think of two things that would result in the damage you are describing. The first is if your dentist provided you with composite veneers instead of porcelain veneers. While porcelain is extraordinarily stain-resistant, even more so than your natural teeth.  Composite, however, picks up stains quite easily. You said you researched your dentist quite carefully, so I am not inclined to think this is the issue. It would take a very unethical dentist to place composite veneers but call them porcelain.

A second possibility is that your hygienist used something on your porcelain veneers that damaged the glazing. A couple of things you need to avoid during your cleaning/checkup appointments are the power prophy jet and the acidulated fluoride. If you go to a practice that does a lot of cosmetic work, the staff should be well trained enough to know this, but it is always possible you had someone new.

Your dentist can repair this. He should do so at his cost. Once they have that shine again, I want to make sure you have the right toothpaste to care for them. If you want a whitening toothpaste, the only one I recommend for people who have had any type of cosmetic work, especially a complete smile makeover, is to get SuperSmile Toothpaste. This is specially formulated to work with cosmetic procedures. There are no abrasives at all. Instead, it uses knowledge of chemical binding to remove the stains on your veneers. It is 100% safe. As for mouthwash, you can forgo it altogether or look for one that does not contain alchohol.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michasel Weiss.

 

Mouthwash with Porcelain Veneers

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I have porcelain veneers that I really love and I want to take good care of them. I am doing a DIY mouthwash to be safe and want to make sure there are not any ingredients that can hurt my veneers. Here is my recipe:

4 oz. boiled wather

4 oz. hydrogen peroxide

1 T. sea salt

Will this be safe?

Ken

Dear Ken,

a porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth

I love to hear when patients are happy with their smile makeovers and how well they are caring for their teeth as a result. The ingredients you mentioned will not harm your veneers. However, I would be cautious with using it every day.

Peroxide is great about getting rid of bacteria. The only problem is it is non-discriminating as to which types of bacteria it kills. This means it will take away some of the good bacteria your mouth needs. That can lead to a candida infection for you.

Periodic use, about once a week, and you should be fine. Much more than that and you will risk that yeast growing in your mouth.

Over the Counter Products that Can Damage Porcelain Veneers

There are two main types of products to beware of that can do damage to your lovely porcelain veneers. The first is whitening toothpaste. These kinds of toothpaste typically contain an abrasive to scrub the stains off your teeth. The only problem is they will damage your teeth in the process by putting micro scratches on the surfaces of both your natural tooth structure and your porcelain veneers, this will cause them to pick up stains because they will lose some of their protective glaze.

If you really feel you need a whitening toothpaste, I recommend you get Supersmile Toothpaste. This is specifically designed for cosmetic work and will keep your veneers, as well as your natural teeth, shiny and damage free.

The second is over-the-counter mouthwash. Most of these contain alcohol. This is the one ingredient you want to avoid as it will eat away at the bonding that keeps the veneers on your teeth. I believe Colgate has an alcohol free mouthwash, but I would double-check to make sure the ingredients haven’t changed.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

 

Dental Bonding Staining

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I have dental composite bonding on all my front teeth. I have them re-done every three or four years. This latest set is only six months old and is starting to look yellow. Can this be polished to look right again or do I have to re-do them early? What would cause this to happen so quickly?

Priscilla

Dear Priscilla

Whether or not these can be polished to get rid of the stains depends on the nature of the staining itself. Unlike porcelain, which is hard and very stain resistant, composite dental bonding is fairly soft and is susceptible to two different types of staining.

Dental Bonding Staining One

an image of dental bonding on teeth stained by scratches

This first type of staining is surface stains. It happens because of tiny scratches on the bonding which allow it to pick up stains that are trapped there. You can tell these front teeth have been scratched because they’ve lost their glossy finish, instead they look matte. If you look at the adjacent natural teeth, they still have a gloss to them.

The good news is this type of staining can be fixed. If your dentist thoroughly polishes them, it will remove the scratches and stains, all while bringing the gloss back.

Dental Bonding Staining Two

Teeth with the two front teeth having stained dental bonding

Composite bonding is made from a solution of inorganic filler particles such as quartz or glass bound together in a plastic matrix. Because of that, it will absorb stains into its actual material. For instance, if you drink a lot of staining beverages, such as coffee or tea, it will penetrate the plastic and become a part of the bonding structure.

The picture above is a good example of this. Notice the two front teeth are much more stained than the surrounding teeth. This is absorbed staining. You can tell that (as opposed to scratch staining) because the teeth still have their shiny gloss. Notice the adjacent teeth, though stained, aren’t as stained as the bonded teeth. This is because your natural teeth are less susceptible to staining than composite bonding.

Unfortunately, this has to be re-done. There is no way to polish this out. Teeth whitening won’t work either. It will only whiten natural tooth structure. If that is the case, I’m going to highly suggest you switch to porcelain veneers on your teeth. Yes, veneers are more expensive initially. However, you are re-doing these every few years. Great porcelain veneers can last upwards of twenty plus years. They’re much more stain-resistant than bonding. In fact, they’re even more stain-resistant than your natural teeth.

Keeping Dental Bonding Stain-Free

1. Start with the right materials. You want to go to a skilled cosmetic dentist. They are more likely to stock microfill composite. This is possible to get polished completely giving it a high gloss and helping it resist stains.

Most general dentists just keep a generic composite which will never completely polish up to the gloss you need.

2. Avoid abrasive materials. I recommend anyone who has cosmetic work use Supersmile toothpaste. It’s specifically designed to chemically remove stains, instead of doing it with abrasives the way most toothpaste works.

3. Avoid staining beverages. If you must drink them, try not to let it sit on your teeth. Swallow immediately.

4. Make sure your hygienist doesn’t use anything like a prophy jet or pumice on your bonded teeth. It will destroy the glazing.

I hope this helps. Seriously consider switching to porcelain veneers.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.