Need opinions on my crowns and veneers

[fievelgp]

Hi ! I have a couple of questions regarding my current crowns and veneers and I would appreciate any insight that could be given to me.

So about 3.5 years ago I had 2 crowns and 2 veneers placed on my 4 front teeth. My left incisor had been bonded when I was 15 due to a chip and it was starting to wear down after nearly 15 years. I mentioned it to my dentist who recommended I get all 4 done with veneers and crowns ( biggest mistake of my life in my opinion). My 2 front teeth and right incisor had no need work to be done, but I thought they might look better ( thanks Hollywood lol) and I had no concept of what would actually need to be done to my teeth for this to happen.

I'm not terribly happy with the shape and size of them, but I could live with them if the shade more closely matched my original front teeth. I wasnt consulted about the shape or shade of the teeth at any point during the process. 2 weeks after having the temps put on, they fitted the permanents. It was 1 week before Thanksgiving, so I talked myself into accepting them ( my own fault).


My original front 4 looked very much like the white in my molars and the white of my bottom front teeth. I understand I have multiple shades in each of my teeth, but they matched my 4 front teeth with the darkest shade from any of my teeth. My teeth have always been like that since I was a kid, and Ive never got a real answer as to why. Although they have gotten a bit darker with age ( as you can see)


Am I being unreasonable in expecting the 2 crowns and 2 veneers to not be that dark of a shade, if not match my original front 4? How risky is it to have them all redone by another dentist that specializes in cosmetic dentistry (as far as damaging the underlying teeth when removing the veneers/crowns) ? Is this fixable?

Secondly, my gums bleed every morning and evening when I floss those 4 front teeth. For the first 2.5 years or so of my cleanings every 6 months, the hygienist and dentist seemed not to believe that I floss those teeth every day. The gums generally stay inflammed, although not so much as of recently.

Lastly, every morning I have a thick filmy/slimy substance on the 2 front teeth.Its kinda clumpy and I can scraped it off with my fingernails. I wouldnt want to open my mouth to speak to anyone in the mornings without brushing it off first. It doesnt seem to matter if I brush my teeth right before bed or if I dont do anything. Is this normal with veneers ?

*Edit* I have to add, that the shade difference between my real teeth and the crowns/veneers can be pretty darn noticeable depending on the lighting

Thank you for any advice or insight!

 

[Busybee]

Sorry you have been through such an ordeal. The shade difference is noticeable in the photo so it must be even more so in real life. A good technician can definitely do better than this and a good cosmetic dentist lets you see the crowns in your mouth before you have them permanently cemented. Some may let you try with temp cement. You cannot try in veneers though. I am not sure why you had crowns on the front teeth. There must have been a clinical reason for that. You look as though you have some enamel damage. Maybe you could post a before shot? You should be consulted on the colour and maybe even see the technician to make sure it's a good colour match. Front teeth are really important to get right.

Crowns and veneers are replaceable but there is always a risk with such work. Mainly root failure. Doesn't appear that the technician or dentist was great if you have problems with the gum margins. The dentist should have made you aware of the amount of tooth that is removed and the risks, as well as all the aftercare needed and possible replacements every so many years. Porcelain front crowns and veneers don't last forever and are usually guaranteed for 5 years, (veneers) and ten years for crowns. It's really important to get margins right and a good fit because you can end up with gum recession if that's not the case and that's one reason for replacement.

Not sure why you are getting stuff on your teeth in the morning, could just be that they are thicker than the original teeth and are getting stuck to your top lip when you sleep. If done well they should feel just as your natural teeth. Are you breathing through your mouth when asleep?

I hope you can get them fixed by someone who takes more care and has better technical skills.

 

[fievelgp]

Sorry you have been through such an ordeal. The shade difference is noticeable in the photo so it must be even more so in real life. A good technician can definitely do better than this and a good cosmetic dentist lets you see the crowns in your mouth before you have them permanently cemented. Some may let you try with temp cement. You cannot try in veneers though. I am not sure why you had crowns on the front teeth. There must have been a clinical reason for that. You look as though you have some enamel damage. Maybe you could post a before shot? You should be consulted on the colour and maybe even see the technician to make sure it's a good colour match. Front teeth are really important to get right.

Crowns and veneers are replaceable but there is always a risk with such work. Mainly root failure. Doesn't appear that the technician or dentist was great if you have problems with the gum margins. The dentist should have made you aware of the amount of tooth that is removed and the risks, as well as all the aftercare needed and possible replacements every so many years. Porcelain front crowns and veneers don't last forever and are usually guaranteed for 5 years, (veneers) and ten years for crowns. It's really important to get margins right and a good fit because you can end up with gum recession if that's not the case and that's one reason for replacement.

Not sure why you are getting stuff on your teeth in the morning, could just be that they are thicker than the original teeth and are getting stuck to your top lip when you sleep. If done well they should feel just as your natural teeth. Are you breathing through your mouth when asleep?

I hope you can get them fixed by someone who takes more care and has better technical skills.

Unfortunately I didnt think it through and take a before shot and I dont have any upclose/clear pictures of my before smile.

I'm not sure why 1 of my 2 fronts are crowns. The 1 front tooth with the crown is next to the incisor that I'm pretty sure needed a crown. Both of my 2 front teeth looked the same to my untrained eye before the procedure.

Thank you for your feedback! I never even thought about the fact that the crowns and veneers are thicker than my original . They most certainly are thicker on the front side and yes they get stuck to my to my upper lip when I sleep.The 2 crowns are much thicker on the backside and feel like they cover alot of the roof of my mouth. It took some getting used to when I first got this done to speak without a lisp, due to both the thickness on the front and back sides.

I'm honestly not positive how I breathe when I sleep, and I cant say if its changed since I've had the crowns/veneers. I'll try and pay attention when I go to to bed.

Thank you so much!

 

[Busybee]

Veneers tend to be thicker or more tooth has to be removed compromising dental health. There are really thin types of veneer these days. The back of the crowns sounds normal. They are a technical and engineering miracle as you remove so much tooth and yet it will be functional long term and look good. But it does all depend on the skill of the dentist and the skill and materials available to the technician.

You generally get what you pay for in both cases. Although there are very expensive dentists who don't do high quality work. It's a bit of a minefield finding the right professional who also has a great technician and understands your aesthetic and functional requirements.

The most important thing is to find a dentist who has a good cosmetic reputation but also listens to you and makes you feel listened to. So if you do plan to have this redone be very careful who you choose and make sure they guarantee their work and talk you through all the risks. You can have a wax model made before the crowns are made to see whether you are happy with the shape etc. This will be compared with what you have now. You can also usually have temporary crowns/veneers made so you can check you are happy with the feel and appearance. You can be involved in choosing the colour.

I don't understand why your dentist went down this radical cosmetic route. Perhaps you can post some before x rays which your dental surgery should make available to you.

It is normal to take time to get used to the change in speech. It's quite distressing at first and I am not sure how sympathetic dentists are to some of these issues. Some are others do not see it as an issue as long as the tooth is healthy. I can understand that but it doesn't really help anyone get used to new cosmetics. That's why it's so important to find someone you feel really comfortable with who hears you and understands.

 

[fievelgp]

Thank you for your help! I am going to get several opinions/consultations from qualified dentists in my area and then I'll make a decision on whether or not I want to take the risk.

It seems like mine can be corrected. Its just going to be a matter of whether I trust the next dentist to fix them properly and not make things worse. Again, thank you so much!