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Sensitivity After Veneers

The extent of the post-operative sensitivity is closely linked to the underlying condition of the teeth in the first place, as well as the amount of enamel and tooth structure that is removed to ensure the porcelain veneers are a good fit. In some cases patients have significant shaving of the original teeth which will lead to massively increased sensitivity as well as dental decay over time.

The key here is to avoid the grinding down of the teeth in the first place. As a good rule of thumb if you need a shot it's too much. Best to seek out a minimally invasive dentist who specializes in fitting extremely thin veneers which don't need the shaving, or have your veneers fitted in conjunction with an orthodontic treatment that will reduce the need to alter the tooth structure in the case of a rotated tooth for example.

Cosmetic dentists often boast they they will only remove .5 of a mm of enamel when fitting lumineers. If you consider your enamel varies from 1.00-3.00 mm at the thickest there is not a lot of room for error. Of course, with traditional porcelain much more enamel is removed.

Veneers are bonded using a phosphoric acid etching technique, and some patients have sensitivity problems, caused by a combination of the original removal of the tooth structure with a reaction to the etching materials.

In many cases it takes sometime for the teeth to "settle down" and to return to normal. If plenty of enamel is still left, and your dentist does a good job on the bonding the tooth will settle down and feel normal again after a few week.

However, a small minority of patients suffer problems for years after the treatment. The most severe just cannot tolerate any cold / hot temperature extremes, and just feel a numbing pain that does not go away.

The sad thing is that there really is no good cure for the sensitivity issues. Some people have reported improvements from special toothpastes. Others, have solved the problem through root canals, which remove the root completely.