Are Dental Veneers Bad for Your Teeth?

You've been jealous of a celebrity's teeth for years, until you found out that those aren't even her natural teeth. Instead, she has dental veneers to produce that pretty, award-winning smile. It makes sense that you'd want such beautiful teeth too, but be careful. Even the most beautiful dental veneers are bad for your teeth and cause permanent damage to your original, crooked smile.

Filing the Surface of the Tooth

Not taking accidents and shoddy cosmetic dentistry into account, veneers will always damage your teeth. It's a part of the process. The dentist files down the front of your tooth in order to accommodate the veneers he'll be adding. The damage he does to the front of your teeth is permanent, though necessary for veneer application. Before you get veneers, make sure you really want that bright, perfectly aligned smile. If you have to remove the veneers in the future, the filed-down teeth will be exposed and not nearly as pretty as they used to be.

Taking Tooth Filing Too Far

Though tooth-filing is necessary for veneers, there are cases where a dentist takes this too far. A good dentist will file it down enough to add the veneers but not expose the nerve endings in your original teeth. If the dentist does expose the nerves, you'll end up feeling a lot of pain. It feels like a constant, extreme toothache that never seems to go away. And since the filing is permanent, this may cause pain for the rest of your life. Check the reputation of your prospective cosmetic dentist to make sure she hasn't done this to other patients in the past.

Loose Bonds and Bacteria

Once the front surfaces of your teeth have been filed down, the dentist will bond the veneers to your teeth using dental cement. If the veneers are poorly bonded, it can leave a gap between your teeth and the veneers. Even with a gap the width of a piece of paper, bacteria can get between the teeth and veneers, causing tooth decay and infections, according to Helena Green of "Mail Online." If you notice tooth pain, visit the cosmetic dentist as soon as possible to determine if there's a loose bond.

Bad Teeth From the Beginning

Before you get veneers, have your teeth checked by your regular dentist. According to WebMD, those with tooth decay or weak teeth aren't good candidates for dental veneers. You should also avoid getting veneers if you grind or clench your teeth. A good cosmetic dentist will evaluate your tooth health and grinding before applying veneers.

Sources:
"Dental Health and Veneers," WebMD
Helena Green, "Porcelain Veneers Could Ruin Your Teeth, Your Smile...and Your Life," Mail Online