As we discussed in our previous post, porcelain dental veneers provide an ideal solution for covering severe enamel stains, hiding misshapen teeth, and closing gaps that might be spoiling the overall beauty of your smile. These handy little cosmetic restorations are crafted from dental porcelain by dental technicians at specialized labs. On its own, porcelain is highly breakable (just think of how fragile a porcelain teacup is). Yet, porcelain veneers are as strong as your natural teeth because they have been bonded to a sturdy substructure (specifically, your tooth). Despite the resilience of bonded dental porcelain, it can still suffer from chips and breaks if care is not taken. Whether you have an all-porcelain crown or porcelain veneers, ensuring the long life of that restoration requires a few simple steps.
Four Steps to Protect Your New Smile
- Take your at-home dental hygiene to the next level. Not only do you need to continue brushing at least twice a day (for at least two minutes per brushing) and flossing every evening. To take the very best care of your veneers, you should seriously consider investing in a sonic toothbrush and a water flosser. Whether you purchase them separately or as a two-in-one combo, these high-tech dental hygiene tools provide a much more thorough cleaning and had specialized brush-heads and flossers tips designed to clean around porcelain dental work.
- Quit smoking or chewing tobacco. You already know that using tobacco products, whether smoked or chewed, are bad for you. Not only are they linked to a dramatic increase in your risk for cardiovascular diseases and several types of cancer, tobacco use is also linked to increased tooth loss as you age. As if that weren’t enough motivation, cigarettes and chewing tobacco can stain porcelain over time, ruining the flawless smile you’ve worked so hard to achieve.
- Don’t use your teeth as tools. Your teeth are meant to bite and chew food and help you make the sounds of human speech. They were not meant to tear open a bag of chips, give yourself an impromptu manicure, or pry the lid of your child’s can of Playdoh. These behaviors are bad enough for natural teeth. When you have dental veneers, using your teeth as tools will cause your veneer to chip or fall off entirely.
- Protect your investment with a mouthguard. If you play contact sports like football, soccer, or Taekwondo, or if you grind your teeth at night, your veneers are at a higher risk for becoming damaged. Whether you get a high-tech mouthguard from your dentist or one of those boil-and-bite models from the sports store, wear your guard when you play. If you grind your teeth, you probably already have a nightguard to protect your teeth while you sleep. Wear your nightguard regularly to protect your new smile.
About Peddicord Family Dentistry
Dr. Erika Peddicord earned her DDS degree from the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and opened Peddicord Family Dental in 2009. Her enthusiasm for building lasting relationships with her patients and her dedication to oral health set her apart as an outstanding family and cosmetic dentist. New and returning patients can schedule an appointment or consultation with Dr. Peddicord at our Ankeny, IA dentist’s office by calling (515) 963-3339. We proudly serve patients and families in Bondurant, Polk City, Elkhart, Alleman, and Cambridge.
