7 Essential Tips to Maintain Your Dental Veneers 

Caring for braces, and handling wires and brackets while also ensuring that your gums and teeth aren’t at risk of cuts or infection, is a massive hill that many have had to conquer. However, Veneers are relatively easy to handle. 

Dental veneers are thin shell-type coatings made out of porcelain or a composite-type material that are created to look like teeth. They are used to cover chips, stains, misalignment or any other imperfection of the teeth. They create a lamination and make sure that the teeth continue to look natural. 

However, they require a little bit of at-home as well as in-office care. And if cared for appropriately, they last for several years. How do you ensure a longer lifespan for your dental veneers? Read along to learn how!

1. Minimize teeth clenching and grinding

Teeth clenching and grinding can result in significant damage to the teeth. They also cause headaches and jaw aches. Hence, it is best to consult a doctor if this is an issue for you. It is best to treat it early than to let it fester, for they can also cause problems with a new set of dental veneers. 

Dentists will typically prescribe a custom fabricated teeth guard you may have to wear to prevent damage. The teeth guard reduces the muscular force over the teeth by covering their surface.

2. Avoid consuming hard foods

Not consuming hard foods is good practice in general. However, this is especially crucial for those with dental veneers. They are porcelain and stand a chance of breakage. 

Anyone with veneers should avoid eating things like ice cubes, hard candy, and other foods to prevent cracks or chips on the veneer itself. Moreover, they can also cause harm to the already chipped tooth. 

In the same vein, avoid using your teeth to open bottle caps. If you have a habit of chewing pen caps and biting nails, it might be time to get rid of the habit since those activities can also cause damage to the teeth.

3. Use a soft toothbrush

To maximise protection, it is best to steer clear of hard bristles and opt for gentler stuff instead. Brushes with hard bristles might remove the polish off your veneers. An electric toothbrush should also be inclined at a 45-degree angle into the gums. When using a manual toothbrush, use tiny circular motions.

Soft toothbrushes also prevent abrasions of the gums and aid in maintaining good oral health. As a general rule of thumb, it is best to opt for soft toothbrushes.

In addition, avoid using abrasive tubes of toothpaste since they might harm the porcelain of the veneers. Abrasive toothpaste contains tiny particles such as baking soda or pumice. These toothpaste have mostly been removed from the market, but it’s crucial to remember when purchasing toothpaste. Look for a mild composition that improves gum health instead.

4. Reduce smoking and caffeine 

Smoking is a nasty habit, and it might be a good time to kick that habit, given that it is bad for your veneers. It has the potential to stain and discolour the veneers. You must abstain from smoking if you wish to keep them looking their best. 

While porcelain veneers are stain-resistant, some foods and drinks might cause the veneer’s whiteness to fade. Caffeinated drinks such as Coffee, tea, dark sodas, and soy sauce are all examples of staining foods and beverages. 

Nevertheless, this does not mean that you should stop eating them entirely, but rather that you should limit your consumption wherever possible.

5. Maintain a good oral care routine

Needless to say, excellent dental hygiene is crucial for everyone, but it is wildly critical for those who want long-lasting veneers. Furthermore, it would help if you continued your semi-annual dental check-ups to track the veneers’ health. 

At home, good dental hygiene entails:

  • brushing twice daily
  • frequent flossing
  • occasional mouthwash use

This helps avoid germ build-up in between the teeth and keeps the veneers looking as good as new. 

6. Wear a mouthguard 

If Bruxism or teeth grinding is a problem for you, talk to your doctor about how you can deal with the problem. You will almost certainly be advised to sleep with a mouthguard on. As mentioned above, teeth grinding ruins dental veneers, so addressing the issue can help you save money in the long run that you will otherwise spend on fixing the veneers.

7. Consult a dentist 

People who want healthy teeth must go for regular dental check-ups. It is suggested that an individual sees their dentist once every six months to identify and address dental health concerns before they become severe.

Dental care experts can remove plaque that a toothbrush may not be able to remove. They also use professional equipment to polish the veneers and maintain the whiteness while also limiting deterioration over time.

Furthermore, ensure a visit to the dentist for a check-up and a cleaning at least twice a year if you’re serious about maintaining your veneers.

Conclusion

Remember that veneers, like anything else, do not last indefinitely. They will require replacement after a certain amount of time. However, to reap the advantages they provide, you must know how to maintain them.

Veneers may significantly improve your appearance and attitude. Taking good care of the veneers will guarantee that you have them for a long time. Minimise teeth clenching and grinding since they may break the veneers. Alternatively, use a mouth guard. Moreover, maintain proper dental hygiene and only use a soft-bristled toothbrush. Avoid smoking and limit consuming caffeine and hard foods to ensure the veneers last even longer.

Visit your dentist on a regular basis to ensure that your smile remains bright and healthy. And immediately consult them in case you encounter any issues with your teeth.

In the end, the key is to lengthen the life of the veneers – not to have them forever. So go on and receive a consultation today!

The changing face of Dentistry

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Dentistry Then, Dentistry Now
 
Then: Dentists would not allow the patient to take an active role in planning their own treatment, nor would would they take into account the patient’s individual wishes and demands.

 

Now: Dentists nowadays have a much better understanding of patient psychology. Modern dentists realize that if the patient is involved in the care they are receiving, then they will understand it better and the final outcome will be better as well. What patients really want is to be understood by their dentist, and to have their needs addressed in a way that is realistic, and that fits their budget, lifestyle, etc. In fact, this is what any human being would want. It would be hypocritical for us dentists to ignore the personal aspect of patient treatment. Modern dentists really emphasize patient participation in their own care, customer service, and seek to take away the negative stereotypes surrounding dentistry.

 
Then: Dentistry in the “old days” was a lot more painful.
 
Now: with modern anesthetic techniques, dentistry really does not have to be painful at all. Occasionally there may be discomfort, but it should never be “painful.” In fact, one of our philosophies is to never work on a patient until they are 100% numb, even if it means waiting an extra hour and getting behind in our schedule. We have new tools which make injection pain thing of the past. The patient comes first!
 
Then: In the old days, dentists had limited hours of operation. They were usually open 3-4 days a week, from 8-4. Weekend and evening hours were almost unheard of.
 
Now: Ever since the economy went down the toilet, Americans have had to work longer hours to maintain their standard of living. This meant that they may only have time to see the doctor or the dentist in the evening or on weekends. The modern dentist understands this, and seeks to accommodate this shift in work hours. Thus, we are open on weekends and in the evening because we are in tune with the fact these hours are more convienient for a significant portion of the American population. As a husband and a father myself, I’m all too familiar with being too busy to see the doctor, dentist hair stylist, etc., and am very appreciative of evening and weekend hours when available. 
 
Then: In the past, dentists had the ability to charge high fees because patients could afford it. Dentists would charge their high fees, and if a patient couldn’t afford it, they would be politely told to go somewhere else.
 
Now: As I alluded to above, with the economy the way it is, it really is unrealistic to expect the average person to pay 1400$ for a crown out of pocket. Modern dentists (hopefully) are in touch with this reality and are able to accommodate their patients, either with in-house membership plans that offer significant discounts, or payment plans, etc. The attitude of “these are my fees, take it or leave it” has been fading in these difficult economic times.