Caring For Porcelain Dental Veneers: Important Dos And Don'ts
Porcelain dental veneers can be an excellent option for those who are looking to achieve a whiter and more beautiful smile without the need for extensive procedures. Essentially, a dental veneer is adhered to the front of an existing tooth and is used to mask imperfections, such as chips or even slightly crooked teeth. Before you decide to get dental veneers, however, there are some important care and maintenance
DO Exercise Gentle Care
Porcelain is known for being a very durable material, but it can become scratched easily by abrasives. Therefore, when you get dental veneers, you'll want to select a toothpaste that's specifically formulated to be gentle on dental appliances and veneers. Specifically, your toothpaste shouldn't include any abrasive ingredients, such as baking soda, which can scratch the surface of your veneers. Furthermore, be sure to use a soft-bristled toothbrush.
DON'T Ignore Tooth Grinding
If you have a history of grinding your teeth in your sleep, then you'll also want to make sure that you address this at the time that you get your dental veneers done. More than likely, your dentist will have you wear a guard when you go to sleep each night, which will protect your teeth from the damage of grinding. Dental veneers can become cracked or chipped from excessive grinding, so getting veneers without addressing tooth grinding could lead to disastrous results and expensive repair procedures.
DO Consider a Mouthguard
If you're the type of person who enjoys playing sports or engages in a lot of highly physical activity, you may also want to speak to your cosmetic dentist about the possibility of having a custom mouthguard made at the same time you get your veneers put on. After all, the last thing you want is to end up cracking or otherwise damaging your new veneers while playing a contact sport.
DON'T Try to Whiten
Finally, understand that porcelain cannot be whitened in the same way that your natural teeth can. Therefore, if you don't have veneers on all of your teeth and you try to whiten your teeth, you're going to end up with mismatching tooth colors. Unfortunately, porcelain veneers can be stained by beverages such as coffees and wines, so to reduce the chances of discoloration, you may want to consider cutting these beverages from your diet or, at the very least, drinking them with a straw. To find out more, contact a business like South Florida Dental Arts.