Flossing to maintain veneers

New and Improved Smile? Find Out How to Maintain Your Porcelain Veneers

There’s a reason why patients smile so much after receiving porcelain veneers. These small, ultra-thin wafer-like coverings make it possible to hide impurities and feel confident in your smile again. But what can you do to keep it looking just as beautiful five years from now as the day you received them? Let a local cosmetic dentist offer some valuable tips and suggestions on how you can keep your new and improved smile looking its best today, tomorrow, and well into the future.

Avoid Chewing on Inanimate Objects

If you’re impatient, anxious, or find yourself mindlessly chewing on items that offer no nutritional value, it’s time to find a way to curb this bad habit, especially when you have porcelain veneers. These ultra-thin coverings can chip, crack, or even break off if too much force is placed on them. Chewing on your nails, ice, pens, or pencils can lead to disaster, not only for your veneers but also for your natural tooth underneath. If you struggle to break this habit, try keeping a packet of sugar-free chewing gum nearby.

Protect Your New Teeth

If you’re prone to bruxism (teeth grinding or clenching) or enjoy playing sports or engaging in outdoor activities, you might want to talk to your dentist about what you can do to protect your smile. Mouthguards and sportsguards are beneficial at keeping teeth from coming into contact with each other. If you grind your teeth at night, a mouthguard can relax your facial muscles so that you won’t be tempted to move your mouth in a grinding or clenching motion, and if you play sports, a sportsguard will reduce the impact to your teeth and soft tissues should you face a hard-hitting tackle.

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene

Regular brushing and flossing habits are crucial whether you have porcelain veneers or not. Just because the porcelain cannot decay doesn’t mean the tooth underneath cannot. Make sure you’re brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes as well as flossing at least once a day to remove any harmful bacteria and food particles from in-between your teeth. Before finishing up your normal routine, rinse with an ADA-approved mouthwash to flush out anything left behind that brushing and flossing missed.

See Your Dentist for Regular Dental Checkups

It’s important that you maintain regular dental checkups and cleanings (twice a year) to allow your dentist to check your veneers for any problem areas. Even the smallest hairline fracture can be problematic for the lifespan of your smile, so don’t find an excuse to get out of your appointment. Get in to see your dentist today and make sure your smile is in tip-top shape.

By following these simple tips and tricks, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying years of a beautiful, healthy smile. Your veneers have already transformed the look, so it’s now up to you to maintain it for years to come.

About the Author
If you recently received porcelain veneers, you might be wondering what you can do to keep them lasting as long as possible. As a highly-skilled and trained cosmetic dentist, Dr. Greg Friedman is pleased to offer valuable tips to his patients who want to improve their smiles and keep them healthy for years to come. Dr. Friedman entered private practice in 1990. Attending San Diego State University, he went on to complete his dental degree at Washington University’s School of Dental Medicine before spending one year at the world-renowned Barnes Medical Center in St. Louis for a General Practice Residency. Caring for patient smiles in San Diego, he and his team at Mod Squad Dental use the latest in state-of-the-art dental technology to transform smiles by improving their aesthetics and overall health. To learn more about Dr. Friedman, visit our website or call (858) 682-2394.

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