Porcelain veneers can significantly improve your overall smile by changing the color, shape and size of your teeth. Many patients who turn to cosmetic coatings can feel more confident than ever thanks to a bright, straight smile. While veneers are a permanent solution to correcting common smile imperfections, over time, surfaces can become discolored.
If your skins are no longer glossy and white, you may be wondering if they can be reverted to their original color.
Why Could Your Coatings Have Changed Color?
Porcelain veneers are custom-made shells created from tooth-colored materials. Veneers are incredibly effective at enhancing your natural smile by covering the front surface of each tooth. Veneers are bonded to the front of each tooth, making them look as natural as the rest of your teeth.
Veneers do not stain as easily as your natural tooth enamel; however, their colors may fade over time. Surface stains may develop after prolonged exposure to highly pigmented beverages such as red wine and dark coffee.
Other events that can lead to discolored coatings include:
.Your Age: As we age, our gums recede, leaving the spots where the veneer meets the exposed tooth. This can cause small brown lines on your teeth because the veneers have been glued in place and this composite is now visible. Dark-colored foods and beverages have the potential to stain your exposed enamel, and gum recession is irreversible.
.Age of Your Veneers: Veneers made more than 20 years ago may not be made with porcelain. It was common for veneers to be made of plastic or more porous porcelain, which was not as durable as dentists use today.
.Trauma or Damage: If your tooth has suffered an injury that caused damage to the dentin or the inner tissue of the tooth, the tooth may become discolored. Damaged dentin turns yellow and the veneer appears discolored when it is the underlying natural tooth that is causing the discoloration.
Can Veneers Be Whitened?
If your coats are discolored or have a yellow or brown tint, you may want to try an at-home bleaching treatment to restore their bright white color. However, porcelain veneers are always recommended to talk to your dentist before attempting conventional whitening.
While you can’t whiten veneers with treatment, that doesn’t mean you can’t improve their overall appearance. Professional cleaning can help remove surface stains, so visiting your dentist regularly will help keep your veneers as shiny as possible.
Changing Skins for a Brighter Smile
Veneers allow you to easily whiten your smile. Make sure your veneers look brand new by taking care of your investment. Avoid potentially staining foods and drinks, brush your teeth regularly, and be sure to schedule a professional cleaning appointment with your dentist every six months. If you have old veneers and you find that the discoloration cannot be reversed, your dentist may recommend replacing them with new ones.
Proper Care
The best way to prevent stains on veneers is to treat them as you would your natural enamel. Brushing your teeth after drinking coffee or other dark-colored food or other dark-colored foods and beverages can reduce the acidity and sugars that typically bind to your teeth after a meal. Then brush your teeth with a soft-bristled brush or at least rinse your mouth with water to prevent stains. In addition, it is recommended to try to stay away from saturated colored foods and drinks, which may cause staining in the first place.
