One of the most highly recommended solutions for getting a pearly white smile is to get porcelain veneers installed on the surfaces of exposed teeth. The color of the porcelain veneers can be customized to match your natural teeth color. In general, porcelain veneers can last 15 years or more, which makes them quite a worthwhile investment for those looking to get a perfect smile. Although durable, porcelain veneers can still be a bit fragile. This article looks at 3 tips that will help you maintain the porcelain veneers and avoid having to get them redone again.

Avoid Eating Hard Foods

Although porcelain veneers are beautiful and quite durable, they are also susceptible to chipping and breaking. The veneers cannot withstand a lot of force or impact, especially when you are chewing. The edges of the veneers are particularly vulnerable, so you want to avoid placing any pressure at those areas. Unnecessary stress will cause the veneers to break prematurely.

In short, you should try to avoid eating hard foods, like raw carrots. It's best to substitute alternative ingredients that are easier to chew. Try biting and breaking hard foods with your molars rather than with your front teeth or incisors, as dentists very rarely install porcelain veneers on these teeth.

Wear a Mouth Guard at Night

It's not unusual for patients to wake up and find out that they accidentally chipped their veneers at night. This is particularly true for those who are prone to grinding their teeth subconsciously at night. Protect your veneers from getting damaged by getting custom-fitted mouth guards to wear at night. The mouth guards will basically act as a cushion or padding.

It's best to get custom-fitted mouth guards rather than standard ones, as custom fitted mouth guards tend to have a better hold on your veneers and will be able to efficiently and effectively cover everything with ease. In addition, porcelain veneers will create a new and unusual bite once they have been installed. This might be the reason why you're clenching or grinding your teeth more frequently. The mouth guards will prevent this from happening entirely.

Avoid Beverages and Foods That Will Stain the Veneers

Certain foods, like berries and pasta sauce, and beverages, like red wine and coffee, can stain veneers, so it's a good time to start watching what you eat. Once the veneers are stained, your dentist will have to repolish the surface in order to get the veneers back to their original color. In worst-case scenarios, new veneers will have to be applied in order for you to get that beautiful white smile that you adore once again. Porcelain veneers cannot be whitened, and whitening treatments will have no effect on their color.

Although it's not unusual for veneers to become discolored with time, you can easily prevent your veneers from becoming discolored too soon by checking your diet with your dentist. Your dentist can provide you with a list of foods and beverages to avoid and also tips and tricks on how to avoid staining your teeth if you decide to indulge a little bit. For example, drink red wine and coffee with a straw, so that the liquid does not come in contact with the surface of the veneers.

Conclusion

If maintained for properly, porcelain veneers can last quite a long time. On top of giving you the beautiful smile that you desire, they can also protect the underlying enamel and help strengthen your teeth. Porcelain veneers look extremely natural, and no one will even know that they're there. To learn more, contact a dentist at a dental office like Centre Family Dentistry.