Improving the appearance of your teeth to achieve a flawless, beautiful smile is easier than ever with dental veneers. These are extremely thin pieces of porcelain that are custom-made (for color and shape) and bonded to the front of your teeth. They are used to cover up imperfections like chips, cracks, stains, and gaps, as well as, enhance your teeth in the areas of length and uniformity. If you’ve recently had dental veneers placed onto your teeth, you may be wondering how to care for them. Follow the tips below to keep your veneers looking beautiful for years to come.
1. Make Oral Hygiene a Top Priority.
One of the best ways to take care of your dental veneers is by taking care of your teeth and gums. This means brushing twice a day, flossing once a day, and using mouthwash daily. By keeping up with your oral hygiene, you can help prevent gum disease and tooth decay, both of which can damage your veneers.
2. Avoid Hard Bristle Toothbrushes & Abrasive Toothpaste.
While it’s already recommended to use soft-bristled toothbrushes to prevent wearing down your enamel, if you have dental veneers, a hard-bristled brush can damage the polish on them. In addition to this, stay away from abrasive toothpastes as these can mark up the veneers.
3. Don’t Chew on Hard Objects.
Your dental veneers are strong, but they’re not indestructible. While regular foods are perfectly fine, avoid chewing on hard objects like ice, hard candy, your nails, or the ends of pens/pencils, as doing so can crack or chip your veneers.
4. Limit Naturally Staining Food/Beverages
While dental veneers are stain-resistant, the adhesive that is used to keep them attached is not. This could lead to the edges of your dental veneers becoming yellowed with stains. To prevent this, cut back on consuming naturally staining beverages and foods like coffee, tea, soda, soy sauce, berries, and red wine.
5. Grind Your Teeth? Get Fitted for a Night Guard.
If you’re a nighttime clincher or grinder, it’s important to get fitted for a night guard. A night guard is going to protect your teeth, jaw joints, and dental veneers from the stress that is brought on from grinding (bruxism) your teeth at night.
6. Wear a Mouth Guard for Contact Sports.
If you’re involved in contact sports like wrestling, soccer, football, rugby, or basketball, it’s time to get a mouth guard. While this is generally recommended to protect your natural teeth from trauma that stems from contact sports, it will also keep your dental veneers safe.
7. Avoid Using Tobacco Products.
For those that enjoy using tobacco products, unfortunately, these can cause the edges of your dental veneers to become stained or discolored. If you’ve recently had veneers placed, you’ll want to quit to keep your veneers looking at their best.
8. Take Care With Whitening Products.
Even with dental veneers, you may be tempted to brighten up your teeth every once in a while. However, due to the use of certain chemicals in whitening products, they may cause long-term damage. If you’re interested in whitening your teeth, get in touch with us, and we’ll help you find a solution that won’t damage your veneers.
9. Stick to Bi-annual Cleanings & Check-Ins.
Even if you take care of your teeth at home, it’s important to schedule an appointment with us every six months for a professional cleaning and checkup. During these appointments, we will remove any plaque or tartar that has built up on your teeth and check for any signs of gum disease or tooth decay. These appointments are critical to maintaining your oral health, as well as the longevity of your dental veneers.
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By following these tips, you can ensure that your flawless, beautiful smile will last upwards of 20 years or longer! Have any questions about taking care of your dental veneers? Give us a call at (813) 684-7888, or schedule an appointment with us, and we’ll be more than happy to help.
