Veneer Problems, what comeback have I?

dollydoo30

I got veneers on my top teeth 2 months ago, I wasn't happy with the customer service at all there but thought once the veneers were on and were ok then fine I'd get over it. This week one of the veneers came off when cleaning my teeth, the smell from the tooth underneath is vile, and I noticed the same smell when flossing them recently. Surely they should not be coming off at all, not to mind weeks after being put in place, I mind them and am very careful with what I eat.

I am really worried about the smell, I don't think a proper job was done.

When I went back to get it put back on , another dentist had to do it as original dentist was off, when I left the practice I noticed the tooth was a pink shade, I thought it might have been a bit of blood but it seems whatever was used to put the veneer back in place is showing through the tooth.

I am going out of my mind worrying about the condition of my teeth underneath and the smell.

I was thinking of speaking to my solicitor or if anyone has any advice where to go form here, I have heard nothing but bad stories now from this company, typical, you don't hear it until you speak up about it.

Hi op, just to clear up some of the technical aspects of your post. The smell is most likely from the cement used to bond the veneer in position, unfortunately some cements don’t taste/smell particularly nice. It is unlikely to be due to infection or necrosis in tissues, so at this stage do not be worried about this. The pink colour under the veneer does suggest a little bit of blood got under it when the dentist was reseating it, this is unacceptable and it should be replaced.

Before you consider spending money on getting legal advice, contact the Clinic and ask regarding their Complaints Policy and Pricedures, every clinic must have one. You will be informed of the person responsible for dealing with complaints, this is usually the owner. Write a formal letter of complaint outlining all of your grievances. I’m pretty sure you will get a quick response to your satisfaction.

Alastor01

Just a couple of things to clarify...
Have you by any chance got temporary veneers instead of permanent? Temporary ones are plastic (Acrylic) and they are meant to be bonded weakly to the teeth. Usually, your dentist would let you know that they are temporary and ask you to come back for another final appointment (temporary veneers would be worn while the lab is making permanent veneers, after the mold - impression was taken).

Otherwise, it has failed prematurely. Veneers rely mostly on glue / bond.
Would you describe the smell as rotten? If so, most likely it is due:
a) Inadequate / contaminated cement with voids / foreign material (including organic matter / bacteria - this would lead to smell) or
b) Gum disease in the area (which is extremely common) or
c) Secondary decay (caries) underneath
(Adequate cement would have chemical smell, which is expected)

Agreeing with Dav010, the pink color you see is most likely due to blood traveling "upwards" underneath the veneer and mixing with cement during its chemical reaction - this also points out that you are more likely to have gum disease (causing bleeding)

I would advise to talk with original and last dentists about your problems. You should explain this as best as you can, as the second dentist may not have the full picture of the issue. More often that now, the dentist would be happy to resolve the issue for free.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

The smell is leakage under the veneer and nothing to worry about although it can smell pretty bad.

Go to the treating dentist and ask what can be done, I would warn you that you cannot re cement a veneer properly as you cannot clean the cement off it, so a new veneer is needed or if there is not a lot of enamel to bond to maybe conversion to a crown which tend to be more robust.

There are not guarantees with biology but usually a dentist will be reasonable. If you unhappy with the dentist then go elsewhere and soak up the loss. Trying to sue a dentist over two veneers will soak up 4 years of your time and cost tens of thousands in solicitors fees and you likely have no case as these things happen without any fault on the part of the dentist.