Many people seek out dental veneers as a way to correct a cosmetic problem with their teeth. They may have gaps they want to close up without using braces, permanent discoloration, or uneven edges that make them feel embarrassed. Thankfully, dental veneers can cover up those issues and give you the smile you always wanted. Here are some great tips that will help those veneers look great over time so you don't have to feel embarrassed again.
Avoid Chewing On Objects
Do you have a habit of putting pens or other objects in your mouth to chew on them? This is definitely going to damage your dental veneers, and you should completely stop doing it. The last thing you want to have happen is for a veneer to chip because you were chewing on something you were not supposed to chew on. Try chewing on sugar-free gum instead to break the habit.
Wear A Mouthguard At Night
You may have caused damage to your teeth by grinding them at night, and your dental veneers are a way to correct all that damage that was caused over time. If this describes your situation, then you may want to consider a mouthguard to wear while you are sleeping. This is going to prevent the dental veneers from touching each other, and keep them looking great instead of grinding back down again.
Watch What You Eat
There are some hard foods that can damage your dental veneers, even if it is accidental. Hard, crunchy foods, or even foods that have bones in them that you could bite into, can cause damage to veneers. Consider cutting your food into small pieces that are more manageable to eat and are less likely to cause damage.
There are also some foods that you should avoid eating if you want to be safe. For example, popcorn could have hard kernels that can break a veneer if enough force is put on your teeth when chewing. There are hard and sticky candies that can also form a strong bond with the veneer and cause it to become dislodged if you are not careful. Veneers are only held in place with dental cement, and they can come off.
Brush Your Teeth Regularly
You may have an artificial surface on your teeth with dental veneers, but you can still have decay that forms underneath the veneers. That's why it's important to know that your veneers need to be brushed just as regularly as normal teeth to prevent plaque buildup.
Contact a cosmetic dentist to learn more.
Our oral surgery and general dental website offers important information on how to prevent dry socket following a tooth extraction. After getting your tooth pulled, a protective blood clot develops over the extraction site. Many of our blog posts explain how this protective clot helps promote healing after an extraction.
You'll learn that if the clot is accidentally dislodged, dry socket may occur, which can raise your risk for infection and heavy bleeding. We'll provide you with important tips on how to prevent this by avoiding smoking and drinking through a straw. You'll also learn that swishing water around your mouth should be avoided for a couple of days following your extraction because doing so creates a suction that may dislodge your clot, leading to dry socket.