Inflammation Around Gums with Porcelain Veneers
Posted by writeradmin
I had some porcelain veneers done in South America. I like how they look, but the gums around them are inflamed. They said that was normal and it would go away in a few days. It hasn’t. A friend mentioned that using a peroxide rinse might help. Before I do that, I just want to make sure that it won’t hurt my porcelain veneers before I do that.
Celine
Dear Celine,
I’m glad you wrote. While peroxide will not harm your porcelain veneers, it also will not solve your problem. Inflamed gums are serious. It means you’re dealing with gum disease. Peroxide doesn’t help with that. The problem is your porcelain veneers. While dental tourism can save you some money when it goes well, the problem is that it rarely goes well. Plus, when things go poorly, you have zero recourse. I know of one patient from Costa Rica who, when things with her treatment went badly, she had a warrant put out for her arrest because it is illegal there to complain publicly about a dentist. Instead of getting the help she needed, she had to flee the country.
There are a few things that could be the problem with your veneers.
- The best case scenario is that there is cement that was left on the porcelain veneers and not removed properly. This will irritate your gums and leave a rough surface on that part of the tooth. This should be fairly easy to remove, but you’ll have to pay a cosmetic dentist to do it.
- There could also be an overhang. This is where the tooth and the porcelain veneer don’t meet precisely under the gumline. It has to be seamless, otherwise it will catch debris, etc. at your gumline causing irritation and gum disease.
- The veneers could be over contoured at the gumline, which will create a bulge. Like the overhang, this will lead to inflammation and gum disease.
What ever the cause, you will need to have this fixed. Gum disease is serious. Left untreated, it will put your teeth at risk. This would not have happened if your porcelain veneers were done right. If a dentist were applying for accreditation and the gums were even a little inflamed, the examining board would fail them.
This blog is brought to you by Mt. Dora Dentist Dr. Michelle Stillman, a mercury-free dentist.