I got a smile makeover just a few months ago. It’s already starting to turn dull, which worries me. I’ve taken very good care of it. I brush regularly with a whitening toothpaste and I use Listerine mouthwash. I can’t figure out what’s going on. Do you have any advice?
Lindsey
Dear Lindsey,
What can cause a recent smile makeover to stain?
It would be hard to tell you exactly what happened to your smile makeover without knowing what materials were used, but I can give you some ideas as to what could have gone wrong.
If Your Smile Makeover was with Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain is much stronger and stain resistant than even your tooth’s enamel. It would take something pretty strong to damage your glazing. If you’d had a recent cleaning and the hygienist used something like a power prophy jet. That will take the glazing off your veneers. It will look fine at the appointment but then begin to pick up stains and start to look dull.
If Your Smile Makeover was with Composite Materials
Composite will start staining fairly easily. In fact, the toothpaste you’re using could scratch it. Whitening toothpaste is very abrasive and bad for any type of dental work. Also, Listerine contains alcohol, which will eat away at the composite resin. So, both of those things can damage a composite based smile makeover.
Where to Go From Here
If you had porcelain veneers done and your hygienist damaged them, they should cover the cost of replacement. If, however, you had a composite based makeover, you’ve likely damaged them yourself and will have to eat the cost to have them re-done.
In that case, you can either re-do them the same way but have more awareness of what will damage them. Or, you can invest more money in your makeover and get a porcelain based makeover which will last years longer. In truth, it will likely save you money in the long run. Composite makeovers have to be redone every few years.
I hope this helps. This blog is brought to you by Dr. Susan Dennis.