How to Care for Your Dental Veneers in Phoenix, AZ

Do you admire those with perfectly shaped straight teeth that are sparkling white? Did you know dental veneers could help you achieve those results? Whether you’re dealing with poorly aligned or gapped teeth, teeth chips or cracks, or discoloration, our dentist in Phoenix, AZ, can give you the beautiful, flawless smile you’ve always desired. Learn more about dental veneers and how to care for them to keep your new smile beautiful.

What are veneers?

A tooth veneer is a thin tooth-colored shell or coating that’s attached to the front of a damaged tooth to repair or camouflage imperfections. Veneers are customized to match your natural teeth’ size, shape, and color to provide the most natural smile.

Your dentist can recommend dental veneers to address different dental imperfections like:

• Teeth yellowing, discoloration, or stains
• Minor teeth damage like chips and cracks
• Minor teeth misalignments and gaps
• Uneven or misshapen teeth
• Worn-down teeth

Tips for Caring For Your Veneers

While made from artificial materials like porcelain, veneers should be cared for just like you care for your natural teeth. Fortunately, caring for your veneers is easy. Use the following dental veneers aftercare tips to care for your veneers and mouth:

1. 1. Always keep your veneers clean

Proper hygiene is essential to keep your veneers bright and in excellent condition. Like real teeth, the veneers should be cleaned at least twice daily. Ensure you use a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste to brush the veneer and the rest of the tooth’s surfaces. While the veneer won’t get cavities, the underneath tooth can. Poor oral hygiene can also cause gum disease, leading to receding gums, bone loss, and teeth loss. Also, ensure you floss between teeth.

1. 1. Use non-abrasive products

Like natural teeth, a veneer can wear down, chip, or break. Hard-bristled brushes, alcoholic mouthwash, abrasive toothpaste, and whitening products can scratch or wear down your veneers, reducing their protection and lifespan. Use a soft-bristled brush and non-abrasive toothpaste to clean your veneers and teeth. Fluoride toothpaste is an excellent option to clean your veneers and strengthen the rest of your teeth.

1. 1. Avoid damaging habits

While everyone knows teeth are designed for eating, some still use them to open bottles, cut nails, and bite pens. Unfortunately, using your teeth or veneers as tools can cause them to chip, crack, or break. Then, you would need a new veneer or a stronger restoration like a crown to repair your tooth.

1. 1. Watch what you eat

Hard foods can also damage your teeth and veneers. For instance, chewing or biting hard items like ice, raw carrots, and nuts can cause your veneer or teeth to chip, crack, or break.

Similarly, foods high in sugars and acids, like sweets, bread, candy, soda, crackers, lemons, wine, and apple cider vinegar, can encourage plaque buildup and enamel erosion, causing decay under the veneer. Also, avoid highly pigmented foods and beverages, as they can cause your veneers and teeth to stain over time.

1. 1. Avoid tobacco and alcohol abuse

Smoking is a bad habit that can stain your veneers and lead to dry mouth, decay, gum disease, bad breath, and slower wound healing. It would be best to quit smoking to keep your veneers, teeth, and gums in excellent condition. Similarly, consuming many alcoholic beverages can erode the veneer and soften the bonding cement that holds the veneer to the tooth. This makes your veneers and tooth more prone to damage and stains.

1. 1. Get a mouthguard for bruxism and sports

Do you engage in high-contact sports like football or rugby? Or perhaps you grind or clench your teeth while you sleep. High-contact sports accidents and bruxism can damage your teeth and veneers. Getting a custom mouthguard from a dentist near you can help protect your teeth and veneers and minimize the risk of dental damage and other issues.

1. 1. Visit your dentist regularly

Visiting your dentist every six months or sooner has two benefits. One, it allows the dentist to inspect your veneer and mouth for potential issues and address them before they worsen. Second, the dentist will clean your teeth and mouth to remove bacterial plaque and tartar from the mouth to prevent mouth infections that can affect the quality and lifespan of your veneers.

Learn more about dental veneers

Ready to transform your smile? Consider getting veneers near you for a quick and effective cosmetic solution. Contact We Care Dental to book your consultation today.