Having complete knowledge of veneer maintenance is vital to improving their health and extending their life. After your dentist places your veneers, he will advise you to take preventive measures to safeguard them against damage. All you need to do is pay more attention to your oral hygiene habits to protect your brand-new dental veneers.
If you look after your veneers properly, porcelain veneers can last for more than10 to 15 years. Though composite veneers wear out faster, they can last for 5 to 8 years with regular dental care and maintenance. Simple changes like investing in a soft-bristled toothbrush or picking a less abrasive toothpaste can help you to go a long way with your veneers.
Your overall lifestyle and eating habits can also be responsible for fading the light of your veneers. So, it will be great to be mindful about eating certain stain-inducing foods. Here, we will share with you the foods you should consume less to increase the life of your veneers.
Are There Any Fixed Rules For Veneer Maintenance?
There is no hard and fast rule for maintaining veneers. But the dentist advises them to check and clean them at least every six months because the condition and longevity of your veneers have a lot to do with your lifestyle and dental hygiene. If you make regular brushing, flossing, and dentist check-ups a part of your routine life, veneer maintenance will not be a challenging task for you.
Professional cleaning and brightening treatments at regular intervals can help to improve the lustre and tone of your dental veneers. Investing in dental veneers is to get a bright and even-coloured smile and avoid mismatched ones. For this, you will have to seek professional help and advice along with practising your dental hygiene routine.
As you know, porcelain and composite resin are the two most popular veneer varieties that people sought after. Both are known for having similar functions but different life spans and durability levels. Generally, porcelain dental veneers last for at least 10 to 15 years if you can look after them properly. At the same time, composite veneers can last for at least 5 to 8 years if you follow consistent dental hygiene.
Here, Hashtag Dentist in Brisbane will list some simple yet effective tips you can follow to extend the life and health of your veneers:
Practice Good Oral Hygiene
To keep your veneers healthy and flawless for long years, the best thing you can do is to maintain a proper oral hygiene habit. It will not only extend the life of your dental veneers but also keep your mouth healthy. Generally, porcelain veneers do not decay, but parts of the teeth may be at risk for decay. So, you will have to practice the habit of brushing twice a day and flossing once. It will keep your veneers in the best condition.
Invest in Soft Toothbrush & Proper Toothpaste
If you have got porcelain veneers, you will have to ensure that you are using a soft toothbrush to clean your teeth. A hard-bristled toothbrush can damage the polish on your veneers. Similarly, you need to avoid using harsh abrasive toothpaste as it can cause damage to your veneers.
Avoid Hard Or Chewy Foods
After getting veneers, you must avoid having too hard or chewy foods. Chewing or biting hard and chewy food can cause laminate loss, chipping fracture, or other aesthetic issues. Hence, you should avoid chewing on hard objects or foods like ice, pens, fruit seeds, candy, tough meat, fingernails, etc.
Skip Having Stain-Inducing Beverages & Foods
Stain-inducing foods and drinks are bad for your veneers. For example, red wine can cause noticeable stains on your veneers that are sometimes hard to remove. Similarly, black coffee, tea, beetroots, blueberries, citrus fruits, etc., can cause stubborn stains on your veneers, producing mild to extreme discolouration. In addition, smoking can speed up the oxidisation process and dull down the colour of your veneers.
Regular Dental Check-Up
Giving a dentist visit as frequently as possible is the key to maintaining your veneers. Your dentist will access the condition of your veneers and advise a solution if required. If you have severe discolouration, your dentist can perform a professional cleaning and clean your overall teeth. It can solve discolouration issues.
Avoid Clenching and Grinding Your Teeth
If you clench or grind your teeth, you can wear a bite guard or mouthguard while you sleep. However, as you grind your teeth while sleeping, this can put a lot of pressure on your teeth, causing severe damage to your veneers. You can also ask your dentist about other treatment options to stop grinding and clenching teeth.
Avoid Clenching and Grinding Your Teeth
If you clench or grind your teeth, you can wear a bite guard or mouthguard while you sleep. However, as you grind your teeth while sleeping, this can put a lot of pressure on your teeth, causing severe damage to your veneers. You can also ask your dentist about other treatment options to stop grinding and clenching teeth.
Final Thought
If you want to extend the life and health of your veneers, you will have to focus more on prevention than finding quick fixes. Your lifestyle, eating habits, and dental hygiene habits determine the life of your veneers. Hence, by consistently following a dental hygiene routine, expect your veneers to last longer than usual.
Frequently Asked Questions
You will have to follow some tips to take care of your veneers. They are:
- Practice oral hygiene routine – brushing twice daily and flossing
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush
- Invest in non-abrasive toothpaste
- Give frequent dental check-ups
- Prevent gum disease
- Avoid having stain-inducing foods and beverages
- Quit smoking and avoid sugary drinks
- Say no to hard or chewy foods
- Avoid chewing on hard objects
- Invest in a mouthguard or bite guard
- Avoid grinding and clenching of teeth
- Use alcohol-free mouthwash
- Don’t try DIY treatments
If you feel any issue with your veneers, consult your dentist as soon as possible. Your dentist is the best person to give advice and solve your problem.
As you know, porcelain veneers and composite resin veneers are the two types of veneers that are popularly in demand worldwide. However, there is no hard and fast rule for veneer maintenance. It means that both veneer types don’t need any special care.
However, you will have to be serious about your lifestyle habit, and oral hygiene routine as these two habits decide the life span of your veneers. So, you will have to brush two times daily, floss
once a day and visit your dentist regularly. Usually, dentists recommend professional cleanings of veneers twice a year. If you care for your veneers, they will last much longer.
The key to maintaining and extending the life span of your veneers is to visit your dentist at least every six months. Your dentist will check your oral health condition and veneers. He will clean professionally and advise a solution if he finds any issues. In addition, your gum and teeth will remain healthy with an oral examination and professional cleaning. It will allow your dentist to repair the veneers and prevent further damage if any. Thus, it will prolong the life span of your dental veneers.
Veneers are not at all hard to maintain. Their maintenance and upkeep do not require any expensive or invasive procedures. Only you will have to be vigilant about your lifestyle habits and oral health. If you regularly brush and floss your teeth and visit your dentist, there is less likelihood of future veneer complications.
In terms of dental assistance, a few simple procedures are applied to clean your veneers. The most common methods are scaling, deep cleaning, and teeth polishing. Dentists generally use these procedures when you go for regular check-ups. It improves the visible appearance of your veneers and protects your tooth from decay.
The longevity of veneers is excellent when they bond entirely to your tooth enamel. However, various studies show that porcelain and composite resin are the two most popular veneer varieties that people sought after. Both have similar functions but different life spans and durability levels. Generally, porcelain dental veneers last for at least 10 to 15 years if you can look after them properly. At the same time, composite veneers can also last for at least 5 to 8 years if you follow consistent dental hygiene.
