Do Porcelain Veneers Fall Off?

Once your porcelain veneers are in place, you will feel as though your teeth are good-to-go for years or even decades.  However, porcelain veneers have the potential to fail just like any other dental restoration. While there is a small chance of such a failure, it is certainly possible, especially if the porcelain veneers are on the teeth for a few years.

Did you know?

Dental Veneers can Fall Off

While dental veneers attach to the teeth, they can fall off in certain situations. Dental veneers can slide right on off if the dentist misapplies them.  Physical contact with the teeth and the aging process can also cause porcelain veneers to fall off. If your porcelain veneers fall off several times, the dentist is likely doing something wrong.

Porcelain Veneers That Have Fallen Off Should be Reapplied Right Away

If your porcelain veneers fall off, do not delay their reapplication.  Contact your dentist as soon as possible to apply the veneers. Otherwise, the teeth will face exposure to air that proves irritating to the tooth's pulp.

The irritation is due to the fact that a professional grind a portion of the tooth when placing the veneers. The damage might require a root canal treatment if you do not seek treatment in a timely manner. 

How to Proceed if Your Porcelain Veneer Falls off

If your porcelain veneer falls off, your best course of action is to put it in a small container and bring it back to the dentist.  Do not attempt to put the porcelain veneer back on without the assistance of a dentist. Placing the veneer without professional assistance can cause additional chipping of the sensitive porcelain.  The dentist will attempt to gently place the porcelain veneer back on the tooth in question to determine if it fits.

If the porcelain veneer fits, then the professional will clean it inside and out.  The professional will sandblast the interior for a thorough cleaning. If the interior of the porcelain experiences exposure, the professional will etch the surface with hydrofluoric acid and rebind the veneer. Professionals can even replace this process with a broken veneer if the pieces are similar.  Repairs in this fashion allow for functionality across the ensuing years, assuming the occlusion does not put stress on the veneer.

How to Prevent Porcelain Veneers From Falling Off

Dentists sometimes recommend those who have porcelain veneers don a protective night guard to stop the forces of teeth grinding from breaking or dislodging porcelain veneers.  If force is applied along the edges of the teeth covered with veneers, it will add pressure to the veneers and possibly even dislodge them.

Porcelain Veneers Should not Fall Off

In general, porcelain veneers tend to stay firmly connected to teeth.  After properly bonding the veneers, they stick to the teeth as though they are the outermost layer.  If the dentist applies them in the proper manner, the veneers should prove durable and visually pleasing without any risk of falling off the teeth.

If the veneers fall off, there is a chance it is simply bad luck or the result of forceful contact yet the dentist might be partially responsible. In some cases, it is the dental lab that is at fault for porcelain veneers that fall of the teeth.

So…