Cosmetic Dentistry Blog

Your porcelain veneers need no special care, but they do need the same care you would give your natural teeth. It’s potentially damaging to use your natural teeth for purposes like opening bottles of beer, and never a good idea to bite on hard things like ice or pens. That can potentially damage your veneers also. A veneer is bonded strongly to your tooth and is part of that tooth, and will remain so with normal use.

Daily hygiene
Good dental hygiene is the secret to lasting dental health, and that includes your veneers. Although the porcelain itself will never decay, the back surface that isn’t covered by the veneer can develop caries. So brush at least once a day to clean the exposed surfaces, and floss every night to be sure the side surfaces are cleaned, the areas between teeth.

Toothpaste type
Although the stores sell many lines of toothpaste that claim to be “whitening”, stay away from them. Look for a brand which does not claim to whiten your teeth. Those making that claim contain abrasive ingredients like baking soda, which might whiten your teeth a little in the short term, but in the long term will yellow them. That is because they will gradually remove your tooth enamel along with bacteria and food particles, allowing the yellow dentin layer to show through. They can also scratch the porcelain and dull its pearly shine. Dr. Tekin recommends the Rembrandt brand of toothpaste.

At Art of the Smile, we have dental hygienists who understand dental porcelain and know how to clean it in your regular visits for professional cleaning. Please contact us if you would like to have a personal consultation.