You could potentially benefit from veneers if you’re frustrated by chips, cracks, stubborn stains, mild gaps, or slight overcrowding in your grin. These thin porcelain shells are made to look just like your natural teeth, then are bonded to the front surface to mask imperfections.
These prosthetics are durable enough to shield the underlying teeth, but their primary function is to improve your appearance. As a result, many dental insurance plans don’t cover the cost. When you’ve personally invested in your dental work, it’s natural to want to do everything you can to maintain it. With that in mind, keep reading to learn about 4 ways to keep your veneers looking and feeling their best!
Tip #1: Keep them Clean
If you assumed you could stop cleaning your teeth daily because your new restoration will protect them, think again. While the ceramic covers cannot develop decay or disease, the underlying teeth still can. Brushing and flossing twice daily is a simple but effective way to prevent potential problems that could cause your veneers to loosen or fall off.
Tip #2: Switch Your Toothpaste
Although it’s imperative to maintain your at-home dental hygiene routine, you might need to make some slight adjustments. The gritty texture of certain toothpastes is rough against the smooth surface of your veneers and should be avoided. Otherwise, you might create microscopic gouges in the surface that trap dark ingredients that can stain them. To keep them in good shape, it’s best to switch to a more gentle, non-abrasive option.
Tip #3: Watch What You Eat
Your veneers are incredibly resilient but not completely invincible. For example, you might chip or crack one if you eat anything overly hard, like candy or ice cubes. Furthermore, overly sticky or sugary foods can yank them out of place, and alcoholic beverages can erode the bonding agent holding them in place. Avoiding these options can help keep your restoration looking great for longer.
It’s also worth noting that your veneers won’t stain as quickly as your natural teeth, so you may want to limit your consumption of darkly pigmented foods like coffee, tea, wine, berries, and tomatoes to avoid uneven dental discoloration.
Tip #4: Visit Your Dentist Regularly
As tempting as it may be to avoid routine dental visits, especially when you’re not currently having any issues, doing so can be detrimental to your prosthetics and your oral health. Oral problems usually don’t fix themselves and worsen over time. Fortunately, seeing your provider every six months allows them to monitor your condition to catch and address any areas of concern before they can progress. For instance, if they spot the early signs of gum disease, they can treat it before your gums recede and cause your veneers to fall off.
You can enjoy your recently perfected smile even longer by making these slight adjustments!
About the Practice
At Columbia Healthy Smiles, people of all ages benefit from two dentists who conveniently provide a full array of services under one roof. Dr. Abe and Dr. Batson are committed to ongoing education and are members of the American Dental Association, so you can trust that you’re receiving top-quality services. Plus, they take the time to get to know you and your unique goals and concerns so they can devise individualized treatment plans to meet them. If you want to enhance your appearance, you can request a cosmetic consultation on the website or call (573) 875-7071.