Did you know that investments in dental veneers have skyrocketed 20% since the pandemic?
If you’re not in love with your current smile, then getting veneers could be the perfect solution you need to transform your appearance. While there are many different types of veneers, lots of people choose ceramic to achieve their dream smile.
At a minimum, veneers can last for at least 5 years. However, if you take good care of your ceramic veneers, they could last 10 years or more. Read on if you’d like to know what steps you can take to get the most out of your ceramic veneers.
Maintain Good Dental Health Habits
Whenever you’re in doubt, it’s always helpful to think of your dental veneers as real teeth. Two of the most important habits that you need to adopt to take care of natural teeth are brushing and flossing thoroughly each day. You still need to do these things when your veneers are in place as well.
When you floss at least once a day, be sure to work the floss into both sides of the gums to remove all particles. Brush your veneers as if you’re giving them a gentle but thorough massage at least twice a day.
Avoid Chewing Hard Food or Objects
When it comes to your natural teeth or veneers, you can cause lots of damage to them by chewing on hard foods or tough objects. Ice cubes, potato chips, and raw fruits and vegetables are some of the many foods that could chip or crack your veneers. You should also abstain from chewing on things like pen caps or other non-food objects that are hard.
Not only can these items damage your veneers, but they can also push food particles underneath them and cause plaque buildup or cavities.
Be Mindful of Foods and Drinks That Can Stain
Even if you’re careful about avoiding foods and objects that could crack your veneers, you still need to be on the lookout for foods and drinks that can cause stains as well. Since veneers are designed to look identical to natural teeth and natural teeth have the ability to stain, you have to be cautious.
As far as drinks go, you should be mindful of how often you drink coffee, tea, red wine, fruit juice, and drinks with artificial dyes. Foods that could discolor your veneers include tomato sauce, soy sauce, dark chocolate, and candies with artificial dyes. If you do drink or eat these items, be sure to follow them with some water right after.
Consider Using a Mouthguard
Are you the kind of person who grinds their teeth when they sleep? If your dentist has ever pointed out damage to the bottom of your teeth, then you could be a grinder.
Grinding can hurt your veneers just as much as your natural teeth. If you can’t stop grinding, then you may want to wear a mouthguard at night to create a layer of protection.
Upgrade Your Toothbrush
One fact that lots of people don’t know about oral health is that they could be using the wrong type of toothbrush to take care of their smiles. Even though there’s a wide range of toothbrushes on the market now, it’s best to stick with soft-bristled toothbrushes whether you have a natural smile or ceramic veneers. Buying rougher bristles can damage the appearance of your veneers.
You should also keep track of how often you swap out your toothbrushes. If you want your veneers to shine bright, then you should throw out old toothbrushes after you’ve used them for three months. Fresh bristles do a much better job of cleaning teeth and veneers.
Try to Avoid DIY Teeth Whitening Products
Although DIY teeth whitening products are weaker than professional dentists’ teeth whitening tools, the average person doesn’t have the expertise to apply these products to get the best results. For example, if your veneers have minor staining, then applying a DIY teeth whitening solution could make the results look uneven.
If you ever have any issues with your veneers, book an appointment with your dentist to discuss your treatment options. Trying something on your own could cause an even bigger problem that’s more expensive to fix.
Reduce Drinking and Smoking
Drinking alcohol or smoking tobacco on a regular basis is bad for your overall health. However, if you’re passionate about keeping your veneers pristine, you should avoid these substances anyway.
Alcohol is a strong solution that can eat away at the cement bonding that holds your veneers in place. If you do choose to drink alcoholic beverages, then using a straw could help keep the alcohol away from your veneers. The reason why you shouldn’t smoke at all, though, is to avoid yellowing your veneers and damaging your gums.
Keeping Up With Professional Dental Services
It’s always crucial to visit your dentist at least once a year, even though twice is ideal. These checkups will give your dentist the opportunity to see how well you’re doing at taking care of your veneers and also freshen up your smile.
If they spot little issues, then they can give you some personalized pointers that will allow you to correct bad habits. These deep cleanings will also help you keep your veneers as white and beautiful as possible.
Now You Know How to Take Care of Your Ceramic Veneers
Even though ceramic veneers are pretty low maintenance, it’s still important to avoid bad habits that can damage their appearance prematurely. Now that you’ve read this veneer aftercare, you’ll know what you need to do to maintain your stunning smile.
Whether you have veneers or any other cosmetic solution, you deserve to visit the best dentist to get incredible results. Do you live in the Katy, Texas area? Contact us to schedule an appointment with our talented team.