I had an emergency root canal on my upper left incisor last December. The root canal was on a porcelain veneer tooth, and today the veneer cracked. The tooth pain before the root canal was on and off for a few months. I told my dentist about the problem, but his approach was ‘watch and wait.’ So, while our family was out of town in December, the pain got intense. I didn’t want to wait until I returned home, and I was really interested in what a different dentist would say about the whole thing.
So, my sister’s dentist agreed to see me, which was good by the time I got there because the pain was unbearable. The dentist said I needed a root canal, which was okay because the tooth hurt so bad. But today, at lunch, I felt the tooth crack. It was really the porcelain veneer that cracked. But maybe both the veneer and my tooth are cracked. I don’t know. My tooth does not hurt, though. I do not want to return to my dentist, but I am afraid to find another new dentist, too. Of course, I will need another veneer, but I am scared of losing the tooth and needing an implant. Also, I would like to understand why the tooth needed a root canal in the first place. Thank you. Hikari
Hikari,
Thank you for contacting our office. You have several concerns, and your question about why your porcelain veneer tooth was infected deserves an answer. Dr. LeSage would need to examine your x-rays before and after root canal treatment to determine the condition of your tooth and how it declined.
Porcelain Veneer Cracked After Root Canal Treatment
Porcelain veneer
We are sorry to hear that your porcelain veneer cracked. Perhaps the damage occurred during root canal treatment. A dental instrument may have broken the veneer, or something may have weakened the bond between your veneer and tooth. The dentist you saw may be inexperienced with performing root canals on porcelain veneer teeth. But we will not speculate.
We encourage you to look for an accredited cosmetic dentist. You will need a comprehensive exam and x-rays to determine if your tooth has internal damage or if only the veneer is broken. After the exam, the cosmetic dentist will propose a treatment plan.
Best wishes for a prompt resolution.
Dr. Brian LeSage, an accredited Fellow of cosmetic dentistry in Beverly Hills, California, sponsors this post. See examples of Dr. LeSage’s work in his smile gallery.
