Blog & articles//4 min readDraft, awaiting review
How long do porcelain veneers last, and what shortens their life
Ten to fifteen years is the honest average. The cases that fall short usually share the same three habits.
Porcelain veneers bonded to enamel typically last ten to fifteen years, and many last twenty. The porcelain itself does not wear or stain the way natural teeth do. When a veneer fails early it is almost always the bond, the bite or the gum line, not the ceramic.
The three things that shorten a veneer's life
- Grinding or clenching at night without a guard, which loads the thin edges
- Using the front teeth as tools: opening packets, biting nails, chewing ice
- Gum recession that exposes the margin, usually from hard brushing or untreated gum disease
What keeps them looking new
Brush with a soft brush and a non-abrasive paste, floss daily and keep your hygiene visits. Wear the night guard if I give you one. Tell me early if an edge feels rough or a veneer feels different when you bite; small adjustments prevent large repairs.
What happens at the end of a veneer's life
A veneer can be replaced. Because the original preparation stayed within enamel, the tooth underneath is still healthy, and a new veneer is bonded to the same surface. That is one more reason to keep preparations minimal from the start.
Questions this post answers
- Do veneers stain over time?
- Glazed porcelain does not stain. The bonding line at the edge can pick up colour after many years if it is exposed, which is one reason the margins are kept where they are protected.
- Can a chipped veneer be repaired?
- Small chips can sometimes be polished or repaired with composite. A larger fracture means a new veneer for that tooth.
Related service
Feldspathic Veneers