Porcelain veneers are the most popular cosmetic dental procedure, but it’s important to know that they can be damaged with every day tasks your jaw and teeth perform. Here’s five things that will hurt the longevity of your veneers.
Bruxism
Bruxism is probably the biggest threat to your porcelain veneers. Clenching and grinding your teeth, whether during the day or at night, can seriously damage your veneers and lead to early failure. This is an especially big risk because many people get porcelain veneers to try to correct damage and wear due to bruxism. Fortunately, there are ways to protect your veneers from bruxism. Sometimes TMJ treatment can reduce or eliminate bruxism. In addition, there are bite guards that can protect your veneers from wear.
Misuse
Your porcelain veneers are designed to chew food. They’re not designed to break nuts (or even sunflower seeds), cut packages open, crunch ice, trim fingernails, or nibble on the backs of pens. All of these things and other nonfood items can and will damage your porcelain veneers. This is something you just have to be conscious of and try to stop doing. If you have these kinds of habits and don’t think you can break them on your own, try to stop before you get veneers and consider counseling if you’re having trouble.
Abrasive Toothpaste
One of the benefits of porcelain veneers is that they’re highly stain resistant. This comes from their coating which doesn’t let liquid and foods cling to the veneer, let alone penetrate in order to make a stain. Unfortunately, the coating can be damaged if exposed to abrasive materials, including toothpastes. Veneers are still pretty tough, and they can resist about 11 years of brushing with normal toothpaste. Highly abrasive whitening toothpastes, though, can wear away the outer coating faster than usual. We will recommend a low-abrasive toothpaste and help you steer clear of the worst offenders.
Sports
Just as sports can be damaging to your teeth, they can destroy your porcelain veneers. In order to protect them, make sure you never participate in sports unless you’re wearing a proper mouthguard to prevent fractures and other damage to the dental veneers and the teeth that support them.
Decay
You’re probably thinking, wait a minute–veneers are made of porcelain , they can’t be attacked by decay. That’s true, but the teeth under them can be. Porcelain veneers aren’t like dental crowns. They don’t fully surround and protect your teeth. That’s why it’s crucial to keep getting your dental checkups and make sure your teeth are getting properly cleaned around your veneers. That’s actually not so bad, is it? Just a few simple things that you can do to give your veneers the longest life. To learn more about getting long-lasting porcelain veneers in Philadelphia, please call (610) 272-0828 today for an appointment with a cosmetic dentist at Dental Excellence of Blue Bell.
