Cosmetic Dentistry | 4 Tactics To Properly Maintain Your Dental Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are slim, tooth-coloured ceramic shells fastened on the front portion of teeth to make them look white, bestowing you with an instant smile uplift and a straighter set of teeth. Custom-made porcelain veneers offer superior stain resistance to natural teeth, making them a popular cosmetic dentistry choice. This guide aims to help you properly maintain your dental porcelain veneers for extending their lifespan.

Apply Non-Abrasive Fluoride Toothpaste When Brushing

Once attached, porcelain veneers should be treated like regular teeth when it comes to brushing and flossing daily. But keep in mind that you should use non-abrasive fluoride toothpaste. Abrasive toothpastes will end up being too harsh and may remove the glaze from the veneers, which will cause premature damage to them. You'll also want to use soft-bristled toothbrushes to prevent any scratches and mutilations to the veneers over time.

Use A Night Time Bite Guard To Protect Your Veneers In The Beginning

When you first get porcelain dental veneers as part of a cosmetic dentistry procedure, you may find them slightly uncomfortable. This is natural because your jaw needs to get used to having them around. The strange feeling of having veneers in the beginning may cause you to clench and grind your teeth at night. This can weaken the veneers, so get a nighttime bite guard from your dentist to avoid any damage in the beginning.

Get Your Porcelain Veneers Polished Regularly At The Dentist's Office

Getting your porcelain veneers professionally maintained by your dentist is vital for ensuring their longevity. Your dentist will use a non-abrasive and specially formulated paste to polish your veneers to retain their pearly white appearance without getting discoloured. Failure to get them polished regularly will result in them looking timeworn and discoloured. These regular maintenance visits will also help the dentist inspect the veneers for any potential signs of damage that can be fixed before they become major problems. Your dentist may even request you to visit a few days after the veneers are placed to inspect how your mouth reacts to them.

Avoid Biting Into Hard Items

While porcelain veneers are relatively strong, you can never be too careful, especially after you've spent money on this cosmetic dentistry procedure. Avoid biting into hard items like corn on the cob, apples, pears and bagels because these could cause your veneers to break. If you cannot resist eating these foods, then cut them down to small sizes, so you don't have to bite hard into them.

Follow these tactics to properly maintain your dental porcelain veneers after your cosmetic dentistry procedure.