If you are dissatisfied with the look of your teeth, you may have already decided to get dental veneers. The veneers, which are thin porcelain coverings for your teeth, conceal cosmetic dental blemishes, such as irregular shapes, discoloration, chips, cracks, and minor misalignments.
To ensure that the veneers fit your mouth, they are constructed using impressions of your oral cavity and digital imagery. Once a dental laboratory has created the veneers, they are sent back to your dentist's office for the application.
The dentist prepares your teeth for the placement of the veneers by removing a small amount of tooth enamel from the front surface of each tooth that will be covered by a veneer. The removal of the tooth material helps the veneers to sit flush with the natural front border of the teeth, preserving the natural bite pattern.
Dental veneers are considered permanent, but they have to be replaced if they are damaged. Here are a few things that you can do to reduce the likelihood of damage to your veneers.
Stop Biting on Hard Objects
Many people have developed a habit of biting on pens, pencils, fingernails, ice, or other hard objects to relieve stress. The bite pressure applied when biting on hard items can be strong enough to crack, chip, or dislodge a veneer.
Rather than biting on a super-hard object when you experience stress, chew a stick of sugarless gum. The gum doesn't promote tooth decay or damage your veneers, but the chewing action still provides stress relief.
Wear a Mouthguard During Contact Sports
If you regularly participate in contact sports, be sure to wear a mouthguard to protect your veneers as you play. Some guards are specially made for contact sports and absorb the pressure from blows to the mouth that may inadvertently occur during a game.
Use a Nightguard for Bruxism
Just as a mouthguard should be worn while playing contact sports, a nightguard should be worn if you suffer from bruxism. Bruxism is the grinding of the teeth that some people incur at night while they sleep.
The grinding of the teeth of the top palate against those of the bottom palate can damage or dislodge dental veneers. In addition, it may harm the underlying teeth. A nightguard protects the veneers and teeth from the pressure of the grinding.
For more ways to protect your dental veneers, schedule a consultation with a dentist in your local area.
Share17 May 2018
Halloween is a holiday that my children love, and telling them they can't go door-to-door collecting candy would break their hearts. This led me to allowing them to collect candy on the holiday, then rationing it out to them every day instead of letting them gobble it up in just a few days. I always thought this was better for them, but my dentist told me this could be the reason why their February dental check-ups were always their worst ones. Daily candy consumption was taking a toll on their teeth. I started a new tradition of letting them indulge for two days, then giving them the option to swap the rest with me in exchange for a new toy. They never pass on the opportunity for a new toy. I created this blog to encourage other parents find similar tactics to keep their children's teeth healthy after Halloween.