Dental Floss is Catching Under My Porcelain Veneer
Posted by writeradmin
I just got four porcelain veneers. I really like them, though I didn’t realize that my other teeth would look so bad next to them. However, a problem I am worried about just as much is the fact that my dental floss keeps catching on it. My dentist does not think it is anything to worry about because my gums cover the area. I know I am not a dentist, but I feel like if my floss can get caught, so can food and bacteria. I am worried that I will end up with a cavity under there. Am I overreacting?
Sara
Dear Sara,
I am glad you wrote. You have two problems here. One is cosmetic and the other functional. Let’s deal with the functional one first. If I understand your description correctly, than you have an overhang with your porcelain veneer. This is an irregularity with the margin. As such, it can cause a lot of problems and I have to seriously disagree with your dentist.
An overhang is caused when the dentist has problems with the impression that was taken after the tooth was prepped for the veneer. With this problem, the end of the impression isn’t clear. As a result, the lab has trouble making a smooth finish between the veneer and the tooth. If this isn’t repaired, not only can you get a cavity, as you deduced, but you can also develop gum disease.
I believe your dentist should fix this by replacing the veneer. If they won’t, I highly recommend you bite the bullet and pay for it to be done by someone else. I also would never use your dentist again because they apparently do not care about your oral health as much as they care about not looking like they did anything wrong.
The cosmetic issue you are facing with the obvious difference between your teeth and the porcelain veneers is also a result of a mistake on your dentist’s part. You have four veneers. Most smiles are eight to ten teeth wide. When people get fewer porcelain veneers than the width of their smile, it is standard procedure for you to have teeth whitening done first. This way your natural teeth and your veneered teeth will blend together naturally.
The good news is that you can still do this. It is not too late. Teeth whitening will not harm your porcelain veneers.
This blog is brought to you by Arnold, MD Dentist Dr. Meredith Esposito.