Caring for Porcelain Veneers

Caring for Porcelain Veneers

Dental veneers are a common and reliable solution for improving the appearance of your smile, offering an immediate transformation of the look and feel of your teeth. Custom-made for each patient’s teeth, dental veneers form a cosmetic shell that is placed over and bonded to existing teeth, thus repairing any damage from broken, chipped, severely stained or disfigured teeth.

When used as part of a smile makeover, porcelain veneers can effectively improve your teeth’s:

  • Colour 
  • Spacing 
  • Length
  • Shape and proportion 

Caring for Porcelain Veneers 

Despite the impressive durability of porcelain veneers, and their overall resistance to stains and wear, similar to your natural teeth, they are not impervious to damage or discolouration.

This makes caring for this investment in your smile a priority for those looking to have a picture-perfect smile for years to come.

Below we cover some of the key things you can do to ensure your veneers continue to look as good as the day they were placed.

Hard Foods & Other Objects

Your teeth were meant for food and food only. This goes for porcelain veneers as well. Avoid using your teeth to open packages, pop the top on your favourite bottle of brew, or for holding objects when your hands are full.

Similarly, do your best to avoid chomping down on hard foods such as hard sweets. Despite the durability of veneers, porcelain can crack, chip or break when under extreme pressure when biting down on hard objects.

Stains and Wear 

Although porcelain doesn’t stain, those with composite veneers need to use caution when eating stain-prone foods. This means brushing teeth after meals, rinsing with water during meals, and using straws for beverages such as coffee, tea and soft drinks.

Smoking and Alcohol 

Both are bad for your overall as well as your oral health. You already know this. But did you know that they can each (in their own way) contribute to the damage, wear and staining of your veneers? Consider cutting back or quitting altogether to keep your veneers looking as pristine and beautiful as the day you got them.

Occlusal splints

Bruxism (teeth clenching) can be very damaging to your teeth. It can lead to chips, cracks, and excessive wear on your front teeth. Porcelain veneers are perfect for repairing this type of damage, but there’s only one problem. Teeth clenching and grinding can do the same damage to your porcelain veneers that it did to your natural teeth. The good news is that if you wear a bite splint, it can protect your porcelain veneers. For that reason, Dr Vicky recommends the use of an occlusal splint.

As long as you wear the splint and come in every 6 months for a maintenance check and clean, we can guarantee the work for 5 years.

Have More Questions?

If you happen to be in the Perth, WA area, call or message today and connect with Dr Vicky Ho at Smile Design Studio. Dr Ho and her team of caring and compassionate dental professionals can make sure you have the information you need to keep your smile bright, white and healthy.