Third generation

Ara Nazarian is a clinical consultant for the Dental Advisor and creator of DemoDent patient education model system.

In the past, it was not uncommon to see your satisfied veneer patients return for hygiene recall months later questioning the colour of their porcelain veneer restorations. ‘These teeth appear as though they are getting darker’, is a phrase many clinicians have heard throughout the years from their cosmetic patients. Like many, I would explain that porcelain veneers do not change colour. To prove my point, I would take out a shade guide tab and compare the porcelain veneers to the shade the patient had selected when these restorations were first delivered. To my surprise, I would see a very subtle change. In fact, it appeared that there was a slight darkening of these restorations. Because of this, I would inspect the margins for any microleakage that would contribute to a change in colour. Upon examination, I found no open margins or leakage of any sort. A little confused, I began researching articles, journals and periodicals.