gray porcelain veneers Archives

Is it possible that my mouthwash or possibly my toothpaste is causing my porcelain veneers to turn gray? I had them done nine months ago and I didn’t anticipate them discoloring for years. When I jumped online I saw a reference about avoiding products with alcohol in them. Could this be the reason they are turning gray? My dentist didn’t give me any special instructions or recommendations on which products to avoid. Can you please let me know your opinion?

-Grant in New Jersey

Grant,

It is surprising to hear that your dentist didn’t provide you with any instructions on how to best maintain and care for your new porcelain veneers. Your initial search online does have some truth to it. But in addition to that, you should be aware of some other practices about keeping your veneers looking their best.

Avoid any dental hygiene products with alcohol in them. You should be able to find alcohol-free mouthwashes. Alcohol-containing products can be damaging to your veneers.
Your toothpaste should be non-whitening or non-tartar control. Regular Colgate or Crest formulations should suffice. This is because you need to avoid anything too abrasive. The stronger whitening toothpastes contain highly abrasive whitening agents. You may be interested in a product called Supersmile, which is recommended by many cosmetic dentists because it cares and cleans for the teeth without being harsh or abrasive.
Your toothbrush needs to have soft bristles. A hard bristle tooth brush can damage the protective glaze that covers the porcelain veneers.

Even if your mouthwash and daily hygiene products contain alcohol, this likely isn’t the reason your veneers are turning gray. It is possible that an alcohol-containing mouthwash combined with a hard bristle tooth brush could damage the margin. But if it is indeed the veneers that are turning gray, it sounds like the surface must be damaged.

Have you had a cleaning since having your porcelain veneers placed? The reason for this question is that some of the tools used by dental hygienists can damage veneers. For example, a Prophy Jet or other polishing equipment can damage the glaze and scratch those surfaces. Then, bacteria or food particles can cause discoloration of the veneers when the surface is scratched.

The other possibility is that your porcelain veneers may not have been made of some other material.

Hopefully this provides some insight into what could be happening with your gray porcelain veneers.

I have always used Listerine. I love the way it makes my breath smell. Well, I am beginning to wonder if this is what is causing my porcelain veneers to turn grey. I use Colgate daily, so maybe the combination of the two products is damaging to the cosmetic dentistry work I’ve had done? My dentist never cautioned me on staying away from any brand of oral products. Is it possible these products are ruining my veneers? Please let me know your thoughts.

-Jess in Idaho

Jess,

It is quite unfortunate that your cosmetic dentist failed to advise you on the best practices to keep your porcelain veneers looking beautiful. You are on the right track. It sounds like your oral hygiene products may be damaging your dental work. Listerine contains alcohol and is not recommended for anyone with porcelain veneers. Also, it is important to use a soft toothbrush for daily brushing because harder bristles can be abrasive and damaging to your veneers. Colgate itself shouldn’t be an issue. That said, if it is one of the teeth whitening or tartar control types, the formulation may be too abrasive for your veneers too. Many excellent cosmetic dentists will recommend a product that works well for porcelain veneers, called Supersmile.

All that to be said, these products shouldn’t be the cause of the grey discoloration your are experiencing. When a patient’s porcelain veneers are turning grey, it is typically the type of porcelain that was used. Or it is possible that something has damaged the glaze that protects the veneers. Then, bacteria and food particles can compromise the color and overall longevity of your cosmetic dentistry. Or it is quite possible that the cosmetic dentistry may have been damaged during one of your cleanings by a dental hygienist. A Prophy Jet or any polishing equipment is damaging to cosmetic dentistry. It may be time to visit a new cosmetic dentist to evaluate what has happened and offer the best solution to improve the appearance.

Is my mouthwash turning my porcelain veneers gray?

Is Listerine ruining my porcelain veneers?