Providing the best dental and orthodontic care to families and individuals in Raleigh and across all of North Carolina for more than 40 years.
Have questions about how long veneers last? Our dentists took some time to share information and answer common patient questions to help educate about veneer longevity and care. View the table of contents below to learn more or find your question.
The following content was provided by Dr. Michael DesRosiers and has been medically reviewed for accuracy.
Answer provided by Dr. Michael DesRosiers. Transcript included below.
Many of those who come to our offices for veneer procedures often wonder if they will last forever. While it is difficult to say whether or not your veneers will last forever is up to you. Dr. DesRosiers explains several scenarios which could cause damage to your veneers.
“It’s a really tough question if veneers last forever, just like anything else that you put into your mouth, any kind of restoration, it really depends on how you care for them, how they were prepared in the first place, what they’re made out of, and anything else that happens in your life. So there are certain things that can happen to veneers, you can get decay underneath them, which would cause them to need to be replaced. Certainly, any kind of a traumatic event that could crack your normal teeth or something, could need to be replaced. But when we plan on putting them in, we really plan on having them be there forever. But sometimes there are situations where they will need to be replaced in time.”
Answer provided by Dr. Michael DesRosiers. Transcript included below.
What if you are one of those considering veneers over crowns? Many of our patients often ask about the difference in longevity between veneers and crowns. These two different procedures are often compared because of differences in how they are both applied. Here is Dr. DesRosiers’ opinion on the matter.
“I wouldn’t say that there’s any difference in the length of time that veneers and crowns last, they really are made out of the same material. The difference really is in the preparation of the tooth, where a crown is a full-coverage restoration, so it covers all the different surfaces of the tooth, the veneers are really more cosmetic and just cover the apparent surfaces, the visible surfaces. But they really are made of the same material and bonded to the tooth is basically the same exact way. So the lifespan of them is really quite similar.”
Answer provided by Dr. Michael DesRosiers. Transcript included below.
“The porcelain type veneers are certainly the longest-lasting, it’s the material that most kind of closely approximates natural tooth structure. The way that they’re prepared and bonded into place, they tend to be by far the longest lasting. The composite veneers or resin veneers are okay, but they typically aren’t kind of meant to be long-term. They do well in some situations, but usually, the porcelain veneers are your best bet for longevity.”
Answer provided by Dr. Michael DesRosiers. Transcript included below.
Dr. DesRosiers explains the difference in the longevity of veneers based on where they are placed. Although veneers typically last the same amount of time no matter where they are placed in your mouth, you typically would only have veneers placed on your front teeth.
“Veneers traditionally are only done in the cosmetic zone, so they’re primarily only done on the front teeth. You could theoretically do veneers on the back teeth, but typically those restorations tend to be more full coverage crowns on those teeth. So when you typically think of veneers, they’re on interior front teeth.”
Answer provided by Dr. Michael DesRosiers. Transcript included below.
As any dentist would suggest, the number one way to have your veneers last longer is to take care of them! Dr. DesRosiers tells us about some habits that can cause damage to your veneers and what you should avoid in order to keep them in tip-top shape.
“The best way to make sure that veneers last a long time is to certainly keep up with hygiene appointments, and make sure to be really diligent about wearing any kind of retainers or night guards that your dentist might prescribe. If you have any habits of bruxism or have had previous orthodontics where things might tend to drift and need to be retained. So basically just doing that general maintenance will help to maintain, and also kind of keeping track of diet, and not eating a lot of sticky and sugary things will absolutely help to keep them looking better and lasting longer.”
If you would like to learn more about veneers and cosmetic dentistry, visit our education center page on the subject. We have had several Lane dentists answer the most commonly asked questions about cosmetic dentistry and posted them on these pages.
