Porcelain veneers are strong, durable, stain-resistant, and long-lasting
but only if you take care of them properly. If you get a smile makeover from Dentistry for Life in Philadelphia, you will also walk away with lessons on how to care for your beautiful new teeth.
How to Clean Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are an amazing cosmetic dentistry treatment. They can conceal every complaint you have about your teeth, whether they’re discolored, chipped, short, or gapped. Veneers, however, are not self-cleaning and they do require attention to keep them looking good and to help them last for decades.
Porcelain veneers aren’t foolproof. They collect gunk just like your natural teeth and a dental hygienist’s tools are the only thing that can scrape everything away properly. Though porcelain veneers are resistant to stains, if you fall short on your basic preventive care you could turn your veneers dingy. Plus, you still have your original teeth underneath to think of – brushing and flossing is a must to maintain your oral health overall and avoid developing tooth decay or infection. The last thing you want is to have to undergo dental restorations
Protect Veneers from Damage
Use common sense and listen to your dentist so you can take good care of your porcelain veneers. Here are just some of the guidelines to follow to maintain your oral health and your beautiful smile makeover:
- Nix the bad habits: If you tend to chew on a pencil or your eyeglasses when you’re thinking or nervous, stop. Over time, this unconscious habit can damage your veneers.
- Use the right tools: Teeth are not for opening bottles or packages. Get out the bottle opener or scissors when you need them and save your teeth for biting and chewing your food only. One wrong move and you could chip a veneer.
- Get a mouth guard: People who grind and clench their teeth (bruxism) when sleeping are always more susceptible to dental damage. Enamel will wear down, gum recession is more likely, TMJ problems can develop, and you can hurt your porcelain veneers. A mouth guard can protect your teeth from themselves.
- Snack wisely: To maintain good oral health in general, not just to protect your veneers, keep the hard candy and daylong sodas to a minimum. Bathing your tooth enamel in sugar all day is a recipe for tooth decay, and that is bad for your natural teeth and veneers.
- Wear a sports guard: If you play sports, whether professionally or on an amateur pick-up league, protect your teeth. One elbow to the mouth, head-on collision, or unfortunate fall and you could destroy your veneers.