Can a Dentist Repair a Snapped Porcelain Veneer?

Has your porcelain veneer snapped in half? Although porcelain veneers are harder than enamel and can last over a decade, on occasion, they can break. If your porcelain veneer has broken into two pieces, you should first ensure that any porcelain fragments are no longer in your mouth. And if possible, try to locate the other half of the veneer if it fell out when you broke it.

Whatever you do, do not try to reattach the broken piece of veneer yourself with super glue or something similar. If you use super glue to reattach the broken piece, your dentist might struggle to remove the veneer later if they need to repair or replace it. This could end up damaging your tooth and leading to costly dental work.

A Broken Piece Can Be Reattached

If the broken piece of your veneer is intact, with no missing pieces, a cosmetic dentist can re-bond it to your tooth. They do this by applying an invisible bonding agent and reattaching the veneer at the broken edge. However, if even tiny pieces are missing, reattaching the veneer is not a good idea. Its appearance will suffer, and it will be weaker along the broken edge.

Staining Might Occur

Although a reattached veneer can last several years, it will eventually stain. Porcelain is non-porous and so does not stain very easily. However, the bonding agent a dentist uses to repair a broken veneer is porous. As a result, over time, staining molecules will attach to the bonding agent along the break and leave a noticeable stain.

If you choose to reattach a broken veneer then, you should remember that you will need to replace the veneer entirely sometime in the near future.

The Veneer Could Break Again

Another problem that occurs when you repair rather than replace is that the veneer could break in the same place. This could happen while you are chewing food in a restaurant, or eating popcorn at a movie. At that point, you would need to replace the veneer.

Replacement is a Better Option

Rather than reattach the broken half of your veneer with a bonding agent that isn't as strong as porcelain, consider replacing the veneer entirely. Your cosmetic dentist will remove the broken veneer, then create a new veneer that is of the same shade, and shape as any other existing veneers on your teeth. The main benefit of doing this is that your new veneer could last a decade.

Have you broken a veneer? Then consider the above points before you decide to repair it.


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