No matter how skilled the dentist or how well they are made, from time to time a tooth will veneer fractures or fall off.
There are several reasons why this happens, from the kind of veneer to the type and application of the adhesive.
There are, as we know, two main types of veneers; composite and porcelain. When created by a quality facility, such as like Biterite, veneers of these materials are of proven utility and longevity.
Yet, undeniably, failures do occur, but why?
There is no one thing that can make a veneer fail, but for the purpose of discussion we will take ‘fail’ to mean that the veneer falls off, chips, fractures or debonds.
A veneer may fracture, for example, if the bite comes together to weaken the material over time.
Other common causes of chipping or fracturing are the habitual chewing of ice cubes or the gnawing of steak or chop bones.
Failures due to accident, however, aren’t worth mentioning here.
When debonding occurs the obvious cause is that the adhesive has failed, but again, there is no single reason why this happens.
However, the most common and unfortunate cause is that the procedure, for a variety of reasons, was not done perfectly.
The solution for this type of failure is continuous training and practice combined with the exercise of great diligence during the application of the adhesive.
The failure of well-constructed and well-placed veneers is an uncommon occurrence. Should a patient come to you with a veneer failure, it is most important that they be assured how rare this is.
With a veneer fracture, of course, a new veneer will be required. In the instance of debonding, however, the veneer can often be rebonded or cemented back in place.
It is imperative that your patient be advised that should a veneer fail, from any apparent cause, that they contact you immediately.
This will not only reassure the patient, it will also go a long way toward precluding other problems such as dental decay or even bacterial infection.
If you’ve got any advice you’d like to share, or would like to contribute to the discussion, I welcome you to leave a comment here or contact me on social media:
Image courtesyof: Salvatore Vuono
