Tips for Long-term Success
Dental veneers offer an effective option to correct imperfect teeth. Whether you have cracked, chipped, dull, misshapen, or decayed teeth, veneers can repair them. However, veneer maintenance is equally essential as getting them done. That is why veneer aftercare is necessary to enhance and preserve the appearance of your smile.
Veneers have the potential to last for up to 12-25 years, on average, but good care tips can prolong their lifespan. Have you got dental veneers and are looking for veneer maintenance tips to maintain your new smile? Then, this is the right platform for you to explore. Learn about veneer maintenance and aftercare tips, especially for long-term dental success.
Why do Dental Veneers Require a Good Level of Maintenance and Aftercare?
Dental veneers require maintenance and aftercare to ensure aesthetic appeal, longevity, and long-term oral health. The best way to keep veneers in their ideal form is to care for them like natural teeth. However, veneers are relatively easy to maintain; they need good oral hygiene, including adequate brushing, flossing, and regular dental visits. Statistics show that more than 80% of the patients feel satisfied after veneer placement but must care for their new smile. With proper care, dental veneers ensure a long-term and radiant smile.
Besides dental veneer maintenance, their aftercare is also imperative. If you do not care for the veneers, they might get prone to wear and tear and, in return, crack over. But don’t worry; this blog will help you learn essential aftercare and maintenance tips for your new smile. So, let’s begin.
How to Care for Veneers to Ensure Long-term Success?
Caring tips for dental veneers is relatively easy. However, one must be proactive, so dental veneers remain functional, attractive, and durable. Here are some tips and tricks to keep your dental veneers intact and achieve long-term treatment success.
Practice Good Oral Hygiene.
Like natural teeth, good oral hygiene habits are crucial in dental veneer maintenance. Cavities can develop beneath the veneers, and most patients forget this. Keeping the veneers clean helps prevent staining or discoloration, which might otherwise impact how you look.
Care for your veneers like your natural teeth, which means regular brushing, flossing, clearing away food particles, and avoiding plaque and bacteria. Similarly, fluoride toothpaste must strengthen the tooth enamel and prevent decay. That’s crucial as there’s always a possibility that the tooth under the veneer gets decayed, which might lead to veneer loss or even tooth loss.
Don’t Go for Staining Foods and Drinks.
Porcelain veneers do not stain easily but require good oral hygiene. If proper oral hygiene isn’t maintained and one uses stained foods and drinks quite often, veneers might get stained, too. If veneers get stained, they lose their cosmetic appearance and the charm of your smile.
If you have only a few veneers, you must be especially cautious, so they keep their charm. Otherwise, your whole new smile will be affected, and you might face psychological and emotional consequences. Avoid or minimize the excessive use of stained foods and drinks, including dark cola, acidic beverages, tea, coffee, tomato sauces, soy sauce, etc. Take care of your veneers to keep smiling with confidence.
Avoid Biting on Hard Foods.
It is essential to avoid biting on hard foods to keep veneers functioning correctly. It doesn’t mean you can’t eat fruits and vegetables like apples, carrots, hard peaches, etc. But instead of biting on these hard foods, cut them into smaller pieces to protect your veneers. Though porcelain veneers are quite durable, taking special care when consuming hard foods is imperative. Porcelain veneers may get cracked when they encounter such foods. Also, use your back teeth to chew such foods and keep veneers intact.
Use a Mouthguard for Added Protection.
Do you like to clench or grind your teeth, especially at night? Then, wear a mouthguard to protect your veneers, and you’ll be good to go. Anxious people are more prone to clench or grind their teeth in response to ongoing stress or anxiety. However, if one has transformed his smile through dental veneers, this clenching or teeth grinding puts extra pressure on the veneers, and because of that, veneers may lose their proper function or become dislodged altogether.
To cure this problem, dentists recommend a mouthguard or nightguard to patients who suffer from bruxism (chronic teeth grinding or clenching). Wearing a mouthguard provides several benefits for dental veneers, such as protecting them from unnecessary stress and reducing chipping, cracking, and premature wear. If you are a person who grinds or clenches the teeth, tell your dentist in advance so that you can get a brand-new smile with additional protection.
Be Cautious with Teeth-Whitening Procedures or Products.
Dental veneers help transform people’s smiles and provide many social and emotional benefits. However, they require aftercare to ensure long-lasting results. Though veneers give a brilliant smile, they aren’t permanent and might need some treatment to remove stains, so your smile is maintained. Teeth whitening is one of the best cosmetic procedures to remove stains and improve appearance. However, if you have dental veneers, you must be cautious when using such procedures or teeth-whitening products.
Patients with veneers must adopt a different approach to maintaining a brilliant smile. You can keep them shining with good oral hygiene. Moreover, regular dental visits are also imperative to keep them healthy. Consult your dentist for professional cleaning to remove surface stains that regular brushing or flossing can’t do.
Stay Hydrated.
Just as staying hydrated is essential for natural teeth, they can facilitate veneers’ function and boost oral health. Drinking plenty of water is one of the best veneer maintenance tips, as it benefits significantly. Staying hydrated will keep plaque and bacteria from forming beneath the surface of teeth and will keep your veneers clean. Be cautious when consuming acidic or sugary beverages, as they aren’t a substitute for pure water. Pure water is neutral and boosts oral health and veneer longevity.
Reduce Tobacco Use and Quit Smoking.
If you are a tobacco user, it is highly advisable to quit tobacco use and smoking to ensure your veneers stay in good health. Tobacco use highly impacts oral health, and your natural teeth and veneers become stained and discolored. Moreover, your natural tooth structure becomes impacted, and you can get further dental problems.
Tobacco users have a high possibility of developing oral cancer, gum issues, and decayed and stained teeth. Additionally, one might face a life-threatening issue because of excessive tobacco usage or smoking. Veneer aftercare is essential to ensure its longevity and appearance; therefore, take good care of your dental veneers and quit tobacco use.
Replace Old Veneers.
Though veneers have a good lifespan, they need repair and maintenance if they get too old. When you notice your smile is affected by minor veneer damage, it’s a sign that you must replace your veneers. Otherwise, the bacteria will get in quickly and impact them. Additionally, the tooth under your veneer will decay, and the veneer will become prone to loss or eventually fall out. So, you’ll lose the protection of your teeth, and they will get exposed. So, why not replace your old veneers and get a better-functioning, healthy smile?
Final thoughts
Who doesn’t like maintaining his new smile and achieving long-term success with veneer treatment? But for that, it’s essential to practice good oral hygiene right from the beginning and consult your dentist regularly. Besides, one must care for the veneers just like the natural teeth.
Contact your Pinole dentist, Dr. Azadeh Hosseini, DDS, or Ghazal Hosseini, DDS, at Top Pinole Dental to learn more about Veneer Maintenance and Aftercare.
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*This media/content or any other on this website does not prescribe, recommend, or prevent any treatment or procedure. Therefore, we highly recommend that you get the advice of a qualified dentist or other medical practitioners regarding your specific dental condition.*