Having the ultimate smile is not as easy as you may think. For some it may even require the expertise ofa dentist, and depending on the patient’s initial problems, there are various solutions that can beprescribed.
Today, one of the most popular options that patients are opting for are porcelain veneers. It ofteninvolves a substantial investment, and may require special maintenance to keep it at its best. After all,once you’ve gone through the expense and hassle of achieving a better smile, you will want to makesure you can enjoy its beauty for as long as possible. So here are a few key do’s and don’ts to follow intaking care of your porcelain veneers:
- Heavy and frequent alcohol consumption is the biggest mistake you can do after you’ve got yourporcelain veneers installed. Alcohol tends to dissolve bonding or the composite luting materialthat holds the porcelain to the tooth. Within a period of a couple of years, you could completelyruin the dental work.
- Floss and brush conscientiously. A good oral care routine is essential if you are to keep yourveneers looking great and also to maintain the health of the teeth underneath.
- Don’t subject your teeth to sharp impacts or hard objects. If you tend to grind your teeth, get amouth guard to protect it.
- Be aware with your frequency of eating. If you often indulge yourself with food, you will tend todevelop heavy plaque and thus be more susceptible to decay. The best thing you can do toprevent this is to limit your eating to your basic three meals a day and follow proper oralhygiene routines.
- Visit your dentist or hygienist regularly. Your dentist will need to check your veneers on aregular basis. Moreover, frequent visits to the hygienist for polishing and stain removal arehighly recommended.
- Regular pumice polish, used routinely by hygienists to remove the protein pellicle layer fromteeth, will scratch composite bonding. It can scratch and erode the composite that holds theporcelain veneer to the tooth and cause it to deteriorate prematurely. Make sure you’re yourhygienists use a fine aluminum oxide polishing agent to polish a cosmetic dental work.
- Avoid Ultrasonic scalers. If used at the margins of porcelain or composite cosmetic work, it canchip the margin and make the tooth more susceptible to recurrent decay.
- If a porcelain crown or bonding starts staining, there are polishing techniques that can bring theluster back. Consult your dentist or hygienist to know more about the cosmetic work that bestsuits you.
- To keep the shine at its maximum, the most recommend extra maintenance polishing appointments are two per year—especially at the critical bond area between the tooth and theveneer.
Investing in veneers can make an immense difference to your confidence, your appearance and your overall happiness, and with the right care you can enjoy your investment for many years to come. However, the amount of preparation done by the dentist will also largely reflect the end results, as well as the longevity of your veneers. At Union Hills Family Dentistry, we boast years of experience in the field of cosmetic industry, providing us valuable insights into keeping your dental work looking great for years to come!
