How to Take Care of Porcelain Veneers

Your smile says a lot about your personality, which is why it’s important you know how to care for your porcelain veneers. Our dentist will make sure you understand how to maintain good oral health before and after getting veneers. However, it’ll be your responsibility to care for dental veneers like you would natural tooth structure.

Here’s how our dentist recommends you should take care of your porcelain veneers.

Brush Your Teeth Twice Daily for 2 Minutes

According to the American Dental Association, you should brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride occurs naturally and has long been recognized for its oral health benefits. In fact, many municipalities have fluoridated drinking water to help reduce cavities.

Make sure you brush for 2 minutes so you have enough time to clean all teeth, including those with porcelain veneers. If you always brush your teeth with one foot out the door, you could be leaving behind plaque on back teeth that are harder to reach. It’s not uncommon for people to develop cavities in back teeth when they rush.

Floss Your Teeth Once Daily

Plaque loves to hide where toothbrush bristles can’t reach, whether it’s on your natural tooth structure or dental veneers. That’s why it’s so important you floss once a day to remove dental plaque hiding in between teeth and along the gum line. Flossing helps prevent cavities from forming in between teeth so you can avoid an unpleasant surprise during your next teeth cleaning and oral examination with us.

Use Fluoride Mouth Rinse Once Daily

If you have dental veneers, we recommend using a fluoride mouth rinse to help strengthen your remaining tooth enamel. Using mouth rinse helps wash away any residual plaque or food particles that could be left behind after brushing and flossing. Our dentist can help you choose a brand that works for you.

Limit Sweets

Do your teeth ever feel fuzzy or rough? If so, you may be leaving behind dental plaque on your teeth. Plaque loves to eat sugar and uses it to produce cavity-causing acid. You may especially feel plaque on your teeth after eating sugary foods.

Be sure to check labels in the store since many foods we think are “healthy” aren’t good for your teeth. For example, some flavors of yogurt can have a lot of sugar. Likewise, sports drinks often contain more sugar than the average person would think. Limiting sugary foods and drinks will make it easier for you to avoid oral health issues.

Don’t Chew Ice or Use Your Teeth as Tools

While porcelain veneers are durable, they’re not invincible. When you chew ice, you’re more likely to chip your veneers and ruin the appearance of your smile. We also recommend you don’t chew popcorn kernels, hard candies, or other foods that could chip your dental veneers.

You’ll also need to avoid using your teeth as tools. For example, you could accidentally damage your dental veneers while trying to pry off a bottle cap with your teeth.

See Our Dentist Every 6 Months

We recommend you have a professional teeth cleaning and oral examination every 6 months to protect your oral health. During a teeth cleaning, one of our dental hygienists will be able to gently scrape away plaque and tartar. Our dentist also uses these appointments to closely monitor the condition of your porcelain veneers.

Conclusion

The best way to maintain healthy teeth and gums after the veneers procedure is to keep an oral hygiene routine. Brushing your teeth twice a day and other good dental habits help remove plaque so you can avoid cavities and gum disease. Porcelain veneers are more likely to last longer when the rest of the mouth is healthy.

Request an Appointment With Us

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call our office. We would be more than happy to help you on your journey to improving your oral health and overall wellbeing. It is always our goal to help patients maintain healthy smiles for life!

Dr. Alexandra Dodds is a cosmetic dentist in Grand Rapids, MI. To request an appointment and learn if you’re a candidate for porcelain veneers, call Renew Family Dental at (616) 245-3205.

This blog post has been updated.