How to Repair a Porcelain Veneer on Teeth

A porcelain veneer is used to cover a front tooth. Unlike a crown, which covers the entire tooth, a porcelain veneer covers only the tooth surface, similar to the way a false fingernail covers a nail. Porcelain veneers are an important tool in cosmetic dentistry, allowing dentists to cover discolored teeth, close small spaces, remove worn edges and make crooked teeth appear straight. Occasionally, a porcelain veneer will fracture or come loose from the tooth.

Things You'll Need

• Distilled water
• Small bowl
• Paper towel
• Porcelain etch
• Etch brush
• Porcelain silane
• Silane brush

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Instructions

• 1

  Pour distilled water in a small bowl. Gently clean the porcelain veneer in the distilled water with your fingers. If the veneer is fractured, be careful not to tear it further.

• 2

  Lay out a paper towel to work on, and set the porcelain veneer on the towel. Allow 30 minutes for it to air dry.

• 3

  Brush porcelain etch (available from a dental lab or online lab) in up and down strokes all the way across the inside surface of the veneer. This will create a rough surface on the veneer which will allow the porcelain silane to adhere better. Allow five minutes for the etch to dry.

• 4

  Brush porcelain silane on the inside surface of the porcelain veneer. Brush in a back and forth motion, covering the entire veneer.

• 5

  Place the porcelain veneer carefully back on your tooth, fitting it slightly up under your gum. If the veneer has a fracture, push the two sides together on your tooth to close up the fracture.

• 6

  Hold the veneer on your tooth with your index finger for a minimum of two minutes. Wait three hours to eat to make sure the porcelain veneer is securely bonded to the tooth.