I have a tooth that is covered with a porcelain veneer but now has a cavity on it. To treat the cavity, my dentist wants remove the porcelain veneer, treat the cavity, and then replace the veneer with a porcelain crown. I’m not too keen on this idea. Is this the standard operating procedure?
Jim
Dear Jim,
I wish I had more information about your situation. The first thing I would want to know is how large your cavity is. Truthfully, a cavity would have to be significantly large in order to make a dental crown necessary. Is this the dentist that did your porcelain veneers or a different dentist? It could be that this dentist doesn’t feel comfortable with porcelain veneers and is leaning on his knowledge of crowns.
It is extraordinarily hard to match a single crown to a porcelain veneer. Very few cosmetic dentists can do it well. Because of that, I am going to recommend you get a second opinion on this tooth. It would be best to get your second opinion from someone who does a LOT of cosmetic dental work. Don’t tell him or her what your dentist suggested. You want an unbiased opinion.
If it turns out you do need a dental crown, make sure whoever does the procedure tries in your crown with a temporary try-in paste and allows you to look at it in a variety of lighting. If it doesn’t match perfectly, they need to be willing to send it back until they get it right. If they do not agree to that, find a different dentist to do the procedure.
This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Patel.