subject: Top Three Tips in Maximising the Life of your Porcelain Veneers [print this page] Cosmetic dentistry provides dental procedures to improve the "quality of our smile" that is to say the condition of our teeth aesthetically. One of those services is doing porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneer is an option for those who have chipped, broken or crooked teeth, or those with gaps between their teeth. But porcelain veneers could be costly, so one way to make the most of one's spending is to take good care of his/her veneers to maximise its life and lessen the need for replacement.
Here is a rundown of the top three tips in maximising the life of porcelain veneers.
1. Brush and floss. If one has porcelain veneers, brushing one's teeth and flossing are important to keep the tooth with veneer healthy and protected. The veneer itself will not decay. Also, unless the veneers are wrongly placed or already damaged, decay will not pass through the surface of the veneer and thus damage the tooth underneath it. However, plaque may build up on the surface surrounding the veneers and other untreated parts and cause tooth decay. Gum recession may also occur when plaque builds up between the gum line and the edge of the veneer causing the need to have the veneers replaced.
2. Avoid extreme pressures on a porcelain veneer, as well as activities that may twist or flex it. Porcelain veneer can handle regular teeth activities like biting food but it may break or fall off when the tooth supporting it do a flexing or twisting action like when tearing an object. Extreme pressure may also cause the veneer to crack or fall off. Doing things like biting the fingernails or chewing ice must be avoided, and so is bruxism. Bruxism is the clenching or grinding of one's teeth. Such action may cause extreme pressure that will displace the veneer. Bruxism, however, may be involuntary and if that is the case having porcelain veneer is not recommended. Persons with bruxism may try other services that cosmetic dentistry provides. If veneer, however, is the only option suited or if the veneer is already placed, then one should control his/her bruxism by wearing a protective covering at night (one may brux one's teeth even at sleep) and being conscious of such activity and does prevent it at day.
3. Minimize intake or use of stain causing product. Chromogenic products like coffee, tea, and tobacco may darken the teeth. Porcelain veneers, in general, is stain resistant and discoloration of the veneer itself is not the problem but the possible darkening of the cement used to place the veneer on. When that happens, the overall aesthetics of the teeth will be compromised. To fix that, veneer replacement has to be done.
Taking care of porcelain veneers is very much like protecting one's natural teeth. If one cannot practice good oral hygiene, then no matter what cosmetic dentistry offers, tooth problems will still arise. Having that perfect smile is not a responsibility of cosmetic dentistry alone; one must do his/her share to make that perfect smile lasting.
Top Three Tips in Maximising the Life of your Porcelain Veneers
