If you have dental veneers, it is important to take care of them so that they can stay in good condition. They are supposed to last for five to ten years. Whether or not they do, depends on whether or not they were installed correctly in the first place and how well you take care of them on a regular basis.
There are some simple steps you can take in order to keep your veneers in good condition. This starts by making sure that you are practicing good oral hygiene. Make sure to brush your teeth using a soft toothbrush and do so throughout the day. You also need to floss daily and use an antiseptic mouthwash in order to kill any lingering bacteria. Get your teeth cleaned at the dentist office twice a year in order to kill any lingering bacteria and get cavities treated. This is an important step because veneers are placed onto the surface of your natural teeth so if the tooth becomes infected it will impact your veneers.
You should also watch what you put into your mouth. Don’t bite your nails, chew on pencils, chew ice or hard candy since these can cause your veneers to either fall off or chip. You can eat all of your favorite foods but avoid things that are known to be too hard for your teeth. Use caution when deciding what you want to eat so that you don’t bite down on anything that could harm your dental veneers.
When visiting our dental office ask us to look to see if there are any signs of you grinding your teeth. If there are, then you need to wear a night guard when you sleep. This will prevent your upper and lower teeth from touching which will stop the grinding and any clenching that you may be doing. This is important because grinding can cause your dental veneers to become chipped or even fall off. It can also give you a headache as well, so a mouth guard can help you to feel better in general.
It is very easy to care for your veneers. Just practice good oral hygiene and treat them like you would the rest of your teeth. This will keep them in good condition. As an added benefit, you don’t have to worry as much about your teeth becoming stained. Veneers are stain resistant so if you are used to your teeth becoming yellow fairly easily; this will help. They key to remember is that you need to whiten the rest of your teeth before your veneers are placed. Since they don’t stain easily, they also don’t whiten like normal teeth. By whitening the rest of your teeth first, the veneers will be created in the perfect shade of white and your entire smile will look amazing.
To learn more about the process or how to keep them in good condition, give us a call.
