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When asked “how long do veneers last?” in our Denver dental office, we have a number of ways of answering that question. From a purely simplistic point of view, the answer is that veneers can last you at least 10 years and probably much more. However, to answer this question in more detail, we can turn to a few of the studies that have been conducted on this very issue. A recent study shows that in one of the control groups, 96 percent of people who received dental veneers found that the veneers lasted for a minimum of five to six years. 93 percent of another group found that their dental veneers lasted between 10 and 11 years. While a third group found their veneers to last 12 to 13 years. There was a substantial drop in people whose veneers lasted more than 13 years, and the study found that 71 percent of the participants' veneers lasted for 15 to 16 years.

A second study looked more specifically at the rates with which veneers failed in order to answer the question of longevity. By examining 50 scientific articles, the study determines that only 5 percent of veneers failed in under five years, and less than 10 percent failed in a 10-year period. The length of time veneers last depends entirely on the individual. Depending on the level of dental hygiene, specific foods one eats and numerous other factors, a veneer may not last forever.

Because of the ongoing interaction between the mouth and using the veneers each day, there are other factors that determine the lifespan of a veneer. For example, studies have found that the most common reason for veneers to fail is because of a fracture to the dental veneers themselves. This would involve trauma or a great deal of force being put on the placement that causes it to fracture. Similar to the amount of force it takes to fracture a bone. 45 percent of dental veneers that fail, did so because of fractures. An additional 28 percent were discarded because they were cracked.

The results show a very clear relationship between how you choose to use your teeth and the longevity of the dental veneers. It is important to know this fact when you are considering veneers as a dental appliance for your teeth.

Oral hygiene is another area where you can negatively or positive influence the performance of dental veneers and their longevity. In our Denver dental office we have found that there are a high number of cases of failed dental veneers among people who do not take proper care of their oral hygiene.