While praising their long-lasting benefits, Beverly Hills cosmetic dentist Kourosh Maddahi, DDS says that crowns and veneers come with inherent problems like discoloration, wear, and staining. To address these concerns head on, Dr. Maddahi created Infinity Veneers: The ultimate veneer application system that works to combat the top three problems that patients often experience with both restoration methods.
Background:
“When I first started performing porcelain crowns and veneers thirty years ago, I never saw or heard patients complain about staining,” says Dr. Maddahi. “But as the years have gone by and whiter, more opaque shades of porcelain have come on the market, I’ve noticed that veneers are much more susceptible to discoloration.” However, Dr. Maddahi explains that whiter shades of veneers and crowns aren’t the main reason behind this significant increase in stains—he also blames what he calls the “Starbucks renaissance,” which happened in the early 2000s, for people’s renewal . in coffee.
“Around this time, people started drinking more coffee every day, so the amount of staining, especially on almost clear crowns and veneers, became enormous,” says Dr. Maddahi. “What I saw was not only a change in the color of the porcelain, but also a change in the base color of the veneers.” At this point, there was only one thing to do: get to the root of the issue.
The problem:
In search of Dr. Maddahi on the underlying cause of bezels and bezels darkening, he found many multi-layered problems from the bonding agents to the bezels and bezels themselves. “The first problem I found was with the cement used as a binding agent: it changed color and became darker over time. I also found that because of the trauma from the veneer, the natural tooth became a deeper shade, which showed through the veneer placed over it. Finally, there was the problem of liquid staining causing the veneers to darken over time,” he adds.
The solution:
Thanks to his many years of experience, Dr. Maddahi created a new approach to crowns and veneers that not only eliminated the concern about discoloration, but ensured that neither the natural tooth nor the cement was susceptible to change. “I came up with Infinity veneers, an idea that allowed me to keep both the tooth and the crowns and veneers bright white for a long time.”
He also came up with a proprietary line of whitening products, including a mouthwash, toothpaste and whitening strips, made to banish any stains that inevitably come with drinking coffee. Plus, they’re 100 percent safe to use on your crowns or veneers. “All of my whitening products are made with coconut oil, clary sage oil, and lemon peel oil, which won’t damage crowns or porcelain veneers and are safe for everyday use.”
The long-standing secret:
As with any crowns or veneers, they are always prone to breaking, but to avoid an emergency visit to your dentist, Dr. Maddahi has some recommendations for long-term wear.
“People who grind their teeth at night are more susceptible to cracking their veneers or crowns while they sleep,” he says, adding that nighttime grinding can also damage your natural teeth. His number one route to prevention: Wear a night protector that reduces tightness, even if you think you’re not prone to chafing.
The second tip of Dr. Maddahi to ensure ultimate wear is to avoid hard, crunchy foods. “The food most responsible for cracking porcelain crowns and veneers is almonds,” says Dr. Maddahi. “Because of their thickness and hardness, they can break your crowns or veneers with one bite.”
Arguably the most important of the three preventive steps, Dr. Maddahi says patients should maintain daily care to prolong their new smile. “Brushing, flossing and using mouthwash are essential to keeping your teeth healthy, but cleaning your teeth every 6 months actually ensures that your teeth are healthy and that your crowns or veneers are doing well in their new environment”.
