Porcelain Veneers Caught Under His Veneers

Question submitted by: Jared

I’m just starting out in my acting career and have my first decent part. I got porcelain veneers to help with my smile, which several people said would be important for my career. It was pricey, but I’m hoping the roles I get as a result will make it worth it. One things I’m worried about with this is that when I floss, the floss is getting caught under my veneers. I called the dentist and they weren’t concerned because the gums cover them and it won’t impact their appearance. While appearance is important to me, I am more worried about things getting trapped under them, which (though I am not a dentist) would mean that I would end up as decay. Am I overthinking this and panicking for nothing?

Jared

Dear Jared,

You are not overthinking this. In fact, you’re on better ground than your dentist. If the floss is getting caught under your porcelain veneers, other things can get stuck there too, as you had already figured out yourself. When a porcelain veneer is done, it needs to have a perfectly smooth transition from the veneer to the tooth. When that doesn’t happen, then you have a margin irregularity.

It sounds like you have an overhang, which is caused by the dentist not making an accurate impression of the end of the veneer. This makes it impossible for the lab to make a smooth transition.

I would call your dentist back and tell him to replace the veneer with the overhand. This way you don’t have to worry about developing decay or gum disease as a result of shoddy work. You can show them this post if they give you a hard time. Hopefully, they’ll have the integrity to give you the best result possible.

This blog is brought to you by a skilled Prosthodontist in Tucson, Dr. Howard Steinberg.
Click here to learn about gum contouring.