Porcelain Veneers and Cavities

Porcelain veneers are an excellent solution for people with discolored crooked, gapped, worn, or cracked teeth. In fact, in many ways porcelain veneers are the flagship cosmetic dental treatment because they can essentially give a person a whole new smile all at once. In addition, porcelain veneers can be a great protective treatment for your teeth.

Decay Resistant

Unlike tooth enamel, the ceramic laminate used to make porcelain veneers neither decays as a result of exposure to the acid byproducts of mouth-dwelling bacteria or stains as a result of exposure to melanoidins found in foods like coffee, black tea, chocolate, and red wine. This means that porcelain veneers can not only give you a great-looking smile, they can give you a smile that lasts. In addition, they can strengthen your teeth by providing an additional layer of support, almost like the layered composite armor used on modern main battle tanks. However, the teeth behind the veneers are still susceptible to decay, and there are some special considerations you should keep in mind about cavities in veneered teeth.

Behind the Veneer

The veneer itself is made of pressed laminate ceramic, which is very strong, and the veneer is attached to the tooth by means of a plastic compound sometimes called cement. Before the veneers are placed or crafted, the teeth are prepared to receive them through the removal of dental enamel. The amount of enamel removed varies, both according to the preferences and the technique of the dentist doing the preparation, and it is unlikely to be completely uniform. Normally, the amount removed is between 0.3 and 0.5 mm, often leaving little to no enamel on the prepared surface. Fortunately, the prepared surface is protected by the veneer.

Possible Dangers

Cavities can still attack veneered teeth. If veneers are placed by an inexperienced or unskilled dentist, there may be ledges, shelves, or other harborages around the edges of the veneers where food can accumulate and bacteria hide from cleanings. In these locations, plaque can build up, and the acid produced by the bacteria can lead to decay around the edges of the veneers. If undetected, these edge cavities can grow and allow bacteria access to the tooth pulp, necessitating a root canal and capping the tooth with a dental crown.

People often think porcelain veneers are likely to chip, but in fact it is much more likely that the compound bonding the veneer to the tooth will fail and the veneer come loose. This becomes more likely if a person consumes a great deal of alcohol, which dissolves some bonding compounds. Worse than an actual separation of the veneer is if some of the bond gets dissolved and creates a void behind the veneer which can again serve as a harborage for bacteria, leading to concealed decay that attacks the tooth and may not be detected until pain begins.

Prevention Better than Cure

As with all dental treatment, prevention is the best approach. With proper care, you can protect your veneered teeth from any of the negative effects we’ve discussed above. First, make sure you have chosen a talented and well-trained cosmetic dentist who uses the highest-quality restorations. Veneers that are properly shaped and placed can remove the possibility of harborages around the veneers. Brush and floss your teeth according to your dentist’s instructions. Make all your semi-annual cleaning and follow-up appointments to catch any decay before it progresses to the level of a serious threat. Limit alcohol consumption and clean your teeth immediately after vomiting to reduce the dissolution of the dental bonding material.

If you do all this, your veneers will last a decade or more protecting your teeth and keeping them stain-free.