Veneers transform your smile and make dental flaws a thing of the past. However, whereas your dentist guides you on maintaining good oral health, you are responsible for veneer care after installation. Veneers have a lifespan of 7-15 years. But with proper dental care, you can extend the lifespan to more than 15 years before you replace them.
Find the dentistry secrets to extend the lifespan of your veneers listed below.
1. Avoid Sweets and Dark Colored Drinks
If your teeth feel rough or fuzzy, you may have left behind dental plaque. Plaques 'eat' sugar to produce an acid that causes cavities. Likewise, sugary drinks like energy drinks contain a lot of sugar. Whereas porcelain veneers are stain-resistant, the adhesive that attaches your teeth to the veneers isn't.
Dark-colored drinks like soda and coffee darken or yellow your veneers. Therefore, your dentist will recommend a low intake of the mentioned food and drinks, which reduces the chances of oral health problems. If you have to take dark-colored drinks, you could use straws to reduce the contact between your veneers and the drinks.
2. Brush and Floss Daily
Every day, brush your teeth at least twice with a fluoride-based toothpaste. Fluoride reduces cavities. Your dentist will recommend that you brush for 3 minutes to reach all your teeth areas. You could leave plaque on hard-to-reach back teeth if you brush in a rush.
Plaque hides in places your toothbrush bristles can't reach easily, whether on your natural teeth or veneers. However, you'll reach the plaque between your teeth and your gum line when you floss.
3. Avoid Tobacco and Alcohol
Tobacco stains and discolors your veneers. Alcoholic drinks soften the composites that bond the veneers to your teeth. Whereas alcohol doesn't loosen the veneers, the bonding line becomes more prone to deterioration, damage, or stains. Dentistry recommends that you check the ingredient list to confirm that alcohol isn't on the list when buying toothpaste or mouthwash.
4. Use a Mouthguard
Dentistry recommends wearing a mouthguard if you play high-impact sports or grind your teeth while asleep. Sports like taekwondo, mixed martial arts, football, etc., expose you to high-impact forces. Mouthguards minimize the impact of strong forces that you are likely to encounter during contact sports. Also, a nighttime bite guard protects your veneers from grinds or clinches when you are asleep.
5. Don't Chew Ice or Hard Substances
Porcelain veneers are durable but not invincible. When you chew on ice, you will likely chip your veneers. Hard substances like pens, ice, and nails also chip or damage your veneers. Only use your teeth to chew soft to moderate food so that you stay longer with your veneers.
Conclusion
The most efficient way to make your veneers last longer is to maintain healthy oral hygiene. That way, you remove plaques to avoid cavities and gum disease. In addition, dental veneers last longer when your whole mouth is healthy.
