Caring for Your Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers can be a beautiful enhancement to a flawed smile - but porcelain veneers are not invincible. When they are not cared for properly, the thin porcelain shells can be susceptible to damage and decay, and patients may find out too late that a replacement is necessary.

Cosmetic dentist Andrew G. Mortensen has placed many porcelain veneers over the years, and has also seen many porcelain veneers in need of replacement all too soon. When cared for properly, porcelain veneers can last for more than a decade without the need for replacement.

If you are a Fountain Valley patient considering porcelain veneers, you may be wondering how to care for them properly once they have been placed. In reality, it only takes a few pointers to ensure that your porcelain veneers remain beautifully intact for as long as possible.

Care Tips

When it comes to porcelain veneers, maintenance is key. In some regards, it can help to think of your veneers as no different than your natural teeth - after all, many of the same rules continue to apply. These are some of the key steps that you must remember for proper porcelain veneers aftercare:

• Continue Your Dental Hygiene Routine: Porcelain veneers may be artificial themselves - but they are fully supported by your natural teeth, which remain partially exposed in the back. This structure makes your teeth as vulnerable to cavities and tooth decay as ever. Continuing a regimen of daily brushing and flossing is crucial. If a cavity forms around the porcelain veneer, it is likely that your dentist will have no choice but to remove the veneer to reach the damage.
• Leave Your Bad Habits Behind: Everyone has a bad habit or two. But if your bad habit involves compulsively chewing on hard objects like ice, pen caps, or your fingernails, you will need to find a way to curb the behavior if you want to fully enjoy your porcelain veneers for as long as possible. Habits like these can quickly wear away at porcelain veneers, leading to cracks and chips or even full breakage.
• Learn Your Night Behavior: Many patients suffer from bruxism, or chronic tooth grinding, without even knowing it. But protecting your teeth from the effects of bruxism can mean all the difference between a flawless set of porcelain veneers and broken or chipped veneers. If you learn that you grind your teeth at night, your dentist may be able to fit you with a custom mouth guard to keep your veneers safe.
• Don’t Neglect Your Checkups: Because your natural teeth are still in place behind your porcelain veneers, routine visits to the dentist are just as important now as they were before. Your dentist can identify and treat signs of tooth decay before they become a problem that can interfere with your veneers.

Talk to Your Cosmetic Dentist about Porcelain Veneers

With proper care, a new set of porcelain veneers can last for many years. If you have questions about that care before having dental veneers placed, it’s best to talk to a qualified cosmetic dentist with years of firsthand experience. Contact the dental office of Andrew G. Mortensen, DDS, today to schedule an appointment and learn more about the dental veneer process.