Veneers are next only to whitening as the most popular dental cosmetic treatment and much more effective at delivering a gleaming smile. They enable even someone born with a particularly imperfect one to be able to flash a full and friendly grin to everyone with confidence.
Right at the start, you need to decide how white your veneers should be, since you want to have them match teeth that do not always show when you smile, but may at times, or to have teeth match the shade of your veneers. Because veneers are translucent like teeth, you need to be sure that yellowed teeth or those with dark roots are whitened before veneers are placed over them.
Improved Care Leads to Longer Lasting Veneers
But for veneers to have a long life and stay bright, they need to be taken care of because they are not invulnerable. They are, for example, very stain resistant, but they may be gradually discolored if you smoke anything, chew tobacco, or indulge in a lot of coffee, black tea, red wine, colored sodas, dark chocolate, blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, or curries. Staining can also be a side effect of antibiotics, antihistamines, medications for high blood pressure, cancer, and mouthwashes with chlorohexidine and cetylpyridinium chloride.
Good Oral Health Habits can Prolong Veneers
To make sure veneers remain strongly attached to the front of the teeth for 10 years or more, it is very important to abandon any habits that could break them, such as taking clothing articles off with teeth, opening packages with them, chewing on pencils, utensils, or nails, and biting into hard candy, apples, raw carrots, popcorn, nuts or seeds. Especially tough or chewy foods, like jerky or dried fruit, should be avoided.
If Dr. Marine detects that you grind your teeth unconsciously, whether during the day or while sleeping, she can create a personalized mouthguard to protect both the teeth and veneers.
Of course, good dental hygiene needs to be maintained, lest cavities develop on the teeth with veneers or the gums become infected with periodontal disease. It is also important to have your dental hygienist do a professional cleaning at least twice a year.
Dr. Marine specializes in No-Prep Veneers, made of biocompatible dental porcelain, which require less of the enamel to be removed during placement so that the veneers will not stick out artificially. That keeps the treated teeth as strong as possible.
For veneers to provide protection and beauty as long as possible (10 years or more) also requires collaborating with a top dental laboratory, rather than, as too many practices do, looking for the one that will do the work at the lowest cost (which is not always passed on to the patient).
If you want a brightened smile with veneers, set an appointment with Dr. Marine for a full examination and to explore your best options.