Porcelain veneers are a great way to achieve a perfect smile with minimal effort. But if you don’t take proper care of them, you could end up losing your investment in no time.
Here are seven tips for taking care of porcelain veneers so they can stay shiny and beautiful for years to come:
1. Brush your teeth twice daily – Treating your porcelain veneers just like natural teeth is the best way to keep them looking their best. Make sure to give them a thorough brush two times each day with a toothpaste that contains fluoride.
2. Floss every day – Just as with your real teeth, make sure you floss between your veneers each day.
3. Avoid eating foods that can stain – Porcelain veneers are quite resistant to staining, but they’re not immune. Try to avoid consuming foods and drinks like coffee, tea, red wine, and certain fruits and vegetables that could discolor them over time.
4. Don’t put too much pressure on the teeth – When you clench or grind your teeth together, you could end up cracking or chipping the porcelain surfaces of your teeth. To keep this from happening, try using a night guard when you sleep to protect your veneers from excessive pressure.
5. Keep up with regular dental visits – Just because you have veneers doesn’t mean you can forget about regular dental checkups. Getting your teeth professionally cleaned and examined on a routine basis will help keep your mouth healthy and make sure any potential problems with your veneers are caught early on.
6. Don’t use harsh abrasives – You should never use products like whitening toothpaste or baking soda to scrub your veneers — these are much too harsh for porcelain surfaces, and they can scratch or wear them down over time. Stick to using a soft-bristled toothbrush instead.
7. Be careful when biting into hard foods – Try not to bite into anything too hard or crunchy that could potentially crack your veneers, such as nuts or hard candy.