I am considering getting porcelain veneers to deal with my stained, ugly teeth. I am a smoker and drink quite a bit of red wine. I’m worried that I will spend all this money on porcelain veneers and they will end up as ugly as my current teeth are. My dentist said they don’t stain. Before I move forward, I wanted to get a second opinion.

Carl

Dear Carl,

Personally, I think that it is a bit of an overstatement to say that porcelain veneers do not stain. Instead, I would say that they are very stain resistant. In fact, they are more stain resistant than your natural teeth are. That is good news for you.

The edges where the bonding takes place will pick up some stains but this will happen to everyone, not just smokers. Your dentist can polish the edges up nicely and I would consider that a regular maintenance issue.

You can help your porcelain veneers to stay as stain free as possible by using Supersmile Toothpaste. This is specifically designed for cosmetic dental work and will help keep surface stains off your teeth. Brush two to three times a day, as well as floss daily and you should be fine.

One other word of caution. When you go in for your normal dental cleanings, make sure your dental hygienist does not use anything like a power prophy jet or acidulated fluoride on your teeth. This will take the glaze right off your porcelain veneers. The glaze is what gives them their shine and protects them from picking up stains.

If the only thing that bothers you about your teeth is the color, you would save a LOT of money by having teeth whitening done instead of the veneers. However, if there are other things about your teeth’s appearance, such as their size or shape, that bother you, then porcelain veneers are the way to go.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentist Dr. Alan Yount.
Auburn, AL College Dentist