Porcelain veneers are a great option to transform the look and feel of your smile. Porcelain veneers are designed to protect any niggling wear and tear to your natural teeth by applying a wafer-thin, custom-made shell over every tooth to help protect your natural teeth from any further damage and help maintain strong enamel. For example, porcelain veneers can protect your natural teeth from further chips and cracks and displaying any stains and misaligned teeth. Although, one of the questions raised by many patients surrounds protecting veneers from cavities.
One of the key things to point out about porcelain veneers is that they may not necessarily prevent any further damage whilst they are designed to protect your smile. That’s why you must maintain strong oral hygiene so your natural teeth continue to be looked after.
Certain conditions that porcelain veneers cannot protect your teeth from include:
- Cavities (or dental caries)
- Root canal infections
- Periodontal disease
Protecting Veneers From Cavities
Whilst the porcelain material itself will not decay, there is still a possibility for cavities to form behind the veneers. When this happens, your long term oral health remains in danger from resulting tooth decay.
When you eat and bite down on food, debris will remain inside the mouth and accumulate in between the teeth. Naturally, you’d brush your teeth and rinse your mouth to keep your mouth clean. This mustn’t be neglected when wearing porcelain veneers. This will lead to cavities and tooth decay if you only rely on your smile from veneers.
Porcelain veneers can be maintained for the long-term, but they too have a shelf-life, and the last thing you want is for the veneers to fall out and your crooked and damaged teeth are on display because this will impact your smiling confidence.
Food can also become trapped inside your mouth, and cause gum disease.
How Can I Protect My Teeth?
It is quite simple to continue performing a strong oral routine for your natural teeth even when the veneers fit. Alongside this, here are some other helpful lifestyle tips that you should consider:
- Avoid consuming any alcohol as this can impact the bonding agent that maintains the bonding of the veneers to your teeth
- Do not use mild-abrasive toothpaste as this can damage your veneers
- Avoid performing bad dental habits such as biting on hard objects, biting nails or opening packaging
- During physical activity, always wear a mouthguard to protect your teeth and gums
- Continue to brush and floss regularly
If you need further support with protecting veneers from cavities, then we are here to help you. Contact us at Parkdale Family Dental today for an appointment!