When you finally get your new veneers you’ll notice yourself feeling more confident, attractive, and youthful than ever. You deserve to have that feeling for as long as possible. Fortunately, veneers can last for well over a decade, if you care for them properly, of course. That means if you want this new confidence to last, you ought to know how best to take care of your restoration. Here are five tips to help you do just that.
Tip #1: Keep Up Good Oral Hygiene
The key to having the best veneers, as is the case with your natural teeth, is to make sure they’re clean. That means brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and using mouthwash after meals. You may have to be a bit gentler with your restoration, but ultimately your oral health routine shouldn’t change that much.
You might, however, want to change your toothpaste. Common abrasives, like charcoal or baking soda, can scratch up your new veneers. Ask your dentist to recommend you a whitening toothpaste that won’t damage your new and improved smile.
Tip #2: Avoid Foods that Stain Your Teeth
Veneers are made of porcelain, which is stain-resistant. That means coffee, wine, and other foods that could discolor your natural teeth won’t affect your restorations as quickly. Your natural teeth could become a different color than your veneers, making it obvious you’ve had work done. If you’d like to avoid that, it’s best to stay away from these types of foods. At the very least, you can use a straw to reduce the chance of them leaving stains.
Tip #3: Quit Smoking
Similarly, smoking can stain your natural teeth faster than your veneers, turning them different colors. However, the problems run deeper— smoking can contribute to gum disease and tooth decay, weakening the foundation of your veneers. Try switching to a non-tobacco nicotine alternative or, even better, quitting outright.
Tip #4: Be Gentle
Your veneers can chip and crack more easily than your teeth so you should try and be careful with how you use them. No more using your teeth to open packages or, god forbid, beer bottles. You should also avoid chewing ice or biting down on hard candy. You may have done these things before without thinking but doing them with your veneers could cause serious issues.
Tip #5: Get Regular Checkups
It can be easy to forget that your veneers are still affixed to your natural teeth but doing so would be a mistake. Tooth decay should still be a concern, even more so now that you can’t see its progress. Your biannual checkups are the best way to catch small issues before they escalate. Your dentist will also need to check out your veneers periodically to determine if they’ll need to be replaced, so make scheduling an appointment twice a year a priority.
With these tips in mind, your veneers will be in great shape. You can walk around with the confidence of knowing that not only does your smile look great, but that it’ll stay that way for a long time to come.
About Our Practice
Transforming Smiles goes the extra mile to ensure that every patient we see is satisfied with their restoration. Our dental team has over 30 years of dedicated clinical experience, and we’ll use every bit of it to construct your new smile. We take the time to customize every detail so that it’s perfectly suited to your needs. If you have any questions about veneers, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (770) 995-7616.