Porcelain Veneers, Peroxide, and Dental Tourism
Posted by writeradmin
I had six porcelain veneers done in a South American country. I know you probably don’t want to hear this as a dentist, but I saved a LOT of money. I’m writing to see if using peroxide as a rinse for my gums will harm the veneers. There is still redness and irritation around the veneers at the gumline. The dentist told me this is normal and would get better over time. It’s been two weeks and is tender. I’m hoping to speed along the healing by rinsing with peroxide. Is this okay for the veneers or should I look for another option?
Kristen
Dear Kristen,
While peroxide does not damage your porcelain veneers, it will not solve the problem you are facing with your gums. In fact, it could actually cause other problems depending on how often you use it. Peroxide is great at killing bacteria, however, it does not distinguish between good and bad bacteria. This leads to an oral yeast infection known as thrush. It’s perfectly fine to rinse with peroxide every once in a while. However, this will not fix your redness and irritation.
Your dentist saying this is normal is incorrect. Maybe it is normal for him, but it is not what happens when porcelain veneers are properly placed. In fact, if a dentist is trying to get accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD), one of the first things the examiners look at is the gums. If there is any redness or inflammation, the dentist will not pass.
While dental tourism can sometimes save you money, but there is a much higher risk of something going wrong. The standards and laws are different in each country. In fact, a woman who had some shoddy work done in Costa Rica complained about the dentist online, which is illegal there. She had to flee the country because they put a warrant out for her arrest.
There is definitely something wrong with your veneers and it needs to be fixed or you could end up with gum disease. Here are some possibilities of what happened. You’ll need to have a skilled cosmetic dentist look at it to be sure, though.
- The easiest issue would be if he didn’t clean off all of the hardened bonding agent from the gumline. You’ll feel a rough surface there if that is the case.
- The veneers may not meet your teeth under the gumline seamlessly. The margin between the porcelain veneer and the tooth cannot have any overhang. Otherwise, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria as food, etc. gets caught there.
- It’s also possible the dentist over contoured your veneers. This would also provide a little place for food and bacteria to hang out and have lots of bacteria babies.
Get this looked at. The sooner the problem can be dealt with the better chance your gums have.
This blog is brought to you by Arnold, MD Dentist Dr. Meredith Esposito.
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