Enjoy Years of Beauty with Your Porcelain Veneers by Following These Tips
Before you decide to invest in porcelain veneers, get to know what life is like with them. Keep reading to learn some do’s and don’ts that can help your veneers last as long as possible – and look beautiful all the while. Then contact California Dental Group at (800) 407-0161 to schedule an appointment with a cosmetic dentist.
Porcelain Veneer Do’s and Don’ts
Porcelain veneers may be a great aesthetic alternative to explore if you are unsatisfied with the color, shape, size, or evenness of your teeth. Porcelain veneers hide flaws in your teeth, giving you the straight, shapely, brilliant, and attractive smile you’ve always desired. Learn about the dos and don’ts of having veneers and caring for them.
Do…
Make Sure You Want Veneers: Your dentist will have to remove a small amount of enamel from your tooth in order to install your veneers so that they don’t appear elevated or pasted on when compared to other teeth. Veneers are not a cosmetic surgery you may test to see whether you like it because the technique is not reversible.
Get your teeth whitened first: Your porcelain veneers will be tinted to match any remaining natural teeth. Before you receive your veneers, make sure your natural teeth are as white as you want them to be, because veneers cannot be whitened, and if you wanted to change the color, you’d have to get a whole new set.
Keep brushing and flossing: Veneers, like real teeth, require proper oral hygiene. Brush and floss on a regular basis to keep plaque bacteria populations under control and gum disease at bay.
Tell your dental hygienist: Because porcelain veneers can be scratched, it’s vital to let your dental hygienist know you have them before they start cleaning your teeth. They’ll be able to apply a less abrasive polish throughout the cleaning this manner.
Don’t…
Smoke: While most experts believe that smoking will not stain your veneers, especially if you smoke out the side of your mouth, many smokers experience receding gums. The top of the veneer would be exposed, leaving an unattractive gap between the porcelain and your gums where the original tooth would show through.
Grind your teeth: If you grind your teeth frequently, your veneers may be damaged. A broken veneer cannot usually be restored and must be replaced instead. Your veneers can be protected against grinding while you sleep with a night guard.
Use your teeth as tools: While veneers perform similarly to natural teeth in terms of eating and biting, you should not use them to bite your nails, chew ice, or crunch down on anything really hard that might fracture, chip, or dislodge the veneer.
Expect insurance to cover veneers: Because most insurance plans exclude porcelain veneers, you won’t be able to rely on insurance to help you budget for your veneers. However, at California Dental Group, we can help you look into financing alternatives that will allow you to receive your veneers right now and pay them off over time in a manageable manner.
