One’s self-esteem and confidence are reliant on one’s looks – on how one presents oneself, how one talk, and how one smile. And smiles are a gateway into one’s cheerful personality, and losing it is no good.
So many people shy away from smiling because they are conscious of their teeth. There is an easy fix for that – get composite dental veneers.
Composite veneers are sculpted with a thin piece of resin and pressed on the front of your teeth. Slowly these veneers bond with the teeth and help to fix the teeth’ colour, alignment and shape.
Getting these veneers is the first step, but the next most important thing is maintaining them for a long. Well, here are seven practical tips to help you do so!
1. Ensure Good Dental Hygiene
The most obvious tip of all is to keep your veneers clean. Care for them more than you take care of your teeth. Make sure to brush twice daily, and don’t forget to floss to ensure good dental health.
Poor dental hygiene can cause several gum diseases, leading to them receding and exposing the veneer borders. This will make them prone to detachment or getting chipped away.
2. Say No to Abrasive Toothpaste
Even though they are not as strong as porcelain veneers, composite veneers are durable. You must be very careful when choosing toothpaste because it is thinner than porcelain.
If you pick an abrasive toothpaste with rough particles, such as a smoker formula whitening or charcoal toothpaste, it will scratch away the veneer’s surface. It would lead the veneers to become dull and would invite easier staining.
So, pick a simple toothpaste, perhaps gel-based and not in the paste form. Keep up with your dental hygiene routine.
3. Don’t Use Your Teeth As a Tool
Sure, teeth are not just helpful in chewing food but also aid in several other activities, like opening bottle caps. It harms your teeth, especially the veneers. Hard objects like glass bottles and metal caps can scratch the surface of the veneers.
Give up on the habit of biting ice or pens randomly. It would help preserve the quality of your teeth and veneers.
4. Quit Drinks That Stain Easily
Who doesn’t like a steaming hot cup of tea, coffee, or a glass or two of red wine? But all these drinks easily stain your teeth in no time. So, when drinking any of these beverages, use a straw or clean your mouth with water post-drinking.
Besides these drinks, avoid nicotine. Porcelain veneers might be a better option if you’re a mid-to-heavy chain smoker because composite dental veneers are not stain-resistant.
5. No Alcohol
Alcoholic drinks can weaken the bond created between your teeth and veneers. While this will not cause the veneers to become loose, it will leave the bonding line prone to stains, deterioration and damage.
This also applies to toothpaste and mouthwash that have alcohol in its ingredient. It can lead to similar damage as liquor.
Composite dental veneers can cost around $250-$1,500 per single tooth. So, when you are down to spending so much money on your cosmetic and dental work, it might be a good idea to take care of the veneers as much as possible.
This includes maintaining proper dental hygiene, not using abrasive toothpaste or alcohol, quitting drinks that cause stains and not biting into hard objects.
These preventive measures can go a long way!
