Veneers can damage your teeth

This article in the Daily Mail caught my eye yesterday. It details some problems patients have run into after having cosmetic veneers placed, specifically the nerves dying and needing rot-canal treatments. It makes quite horrifying reading!

Like all these things we need to look at the whole picture. Veneers are used in different circumstances to improve the appearance of the teeth, by changing the colour, shape or position of the teeth. They are usually thin porcelain laminates glued to the front of the teeth, if you watch "10 years younger" you will know what a transformation to someone's smile they can make.

It is certainly true that they are not without their potential problems. They don't last forever and will need replacing eventually. If the teeth are very irregular then some teeth will need to be reduced in size to ensure the porcelain is not too thick. Taking healthy tooth away for cosmetic purposes is obviously not suitable for everybody.

I often see patients who have rejected the idea of veneers because they do not wish to have otherwise healthy tooth tissue taken away. Orthodontic treatment can often give a similar improvement in appearance without cutting into teeth but it does take longer and obviously involves wearing braces! The picture show veneers which were inappropriately placed on crooked teeth. However, orthodontics is not without potential problems such as damage to the roots and enamel surface and relapse.

If you are considering any cosmetic treatment, whether it be veneers, tooth whitening or orthodontics, then please make sure you spend time talking to your dentist. Make sure they explain the advantages and disadvantages if treatment. If necessary, seek more than one opinion and try to see a specialist, or at least someone who is experienced in this sort of treatment and can show you examples of their work. Many of the dentists I know who do cosmetic treatment will spend several visit planning the treatment with your and will also place temporary veneers or crowns which can be adjusted until you are happy with the appearance.

Don't let this put you off treatment if you are unhappy with your teeth. But do make sure you are fully informed before committing to treatment, whatever it might be.