I had a set of porcelain veneers done about 7 months ago. I liked them, but I’ve been having some problems and I’m wondering if the porcelain veneers are why. It didn’t happen until after I got them. It started with the gums feeling sore. I thought that might be because I had new veneers. Then I noticed occasional bleeding when I brushed. I went in for my first checkup since getting them and they’ve said I’m developing gum disease and I need to do a better job brushing. Here’s the thing, I’m pretty fastidious when it comes to brushing and flossing and haven’t changed my habits. That’s especially true because I invested all this money in my veneers and want to keep them clean as well. So, if it isn’t me, is it the veneers? Is this common? Is there a solution?

Brooke

Dear Brooke,

I’m sorry you’re going through this. If your oral hygiene is sound, then something else is going on. Because this started after your porcelain veneers procedure, it is natural to suspect them. However, they do not cause bleeding gums or gum disease. What can do that is the porcelain veneers not being properly placed.

It sounds like your dentist doesn’t understand how to get them flush against the teeth. When this happens, it causes a little shelf between the porcelain veneers and your gums. This is known as bulky margins and is a huge problem for you.

Here’s the thing. when you have that shelf, food and other forms of bacteria get trapped in there. They’re very hard to get out. This leads to decay. It will ruin your porcelain veneers and your teeth. You don’t want to go from a porcelain veneer to a porcelain crown unless you have to.

Get Your Porcelain Veneers Re-Done

This has to be replaced. Fortunately, if you can get another dentist to verify that is the problem, you can get your original dentist to replace them for free. The key to getting a good second opinion though is two-fold.

First, never ever tell them who did the work. Dentists are colleagues and friends. It’s hard to say something negative about a peer. If they don’t know who the dentist is it takes away the feeling of disloyalty. They’re just giving an honest, unbiased opinion.

Second, is don’t tell them what you think it wrong. Just tell them the symptoms and let them make the diagnosis. If it turns out to be bulky margins, he can help you get that refund you need to get this fixed properly.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.