Do You Have To Brush Veneers?

A good indication of hard brushing is how quickly your toothbrush becomes worn. If you are finding within a month or two of using a new toothbrush it is worn, you are most likely brushing too hard. Try using a soft toothbrush or holding your toothbrush with your fingertips.

Attend 6 monthly check-up and cleans – Check-up and cleans can help to remove build-up plaque that your toothbrush cannot remove alone. If plaque is left to build up, your veneers might need to be removed to access the area. You should also ask your dentist to check your veneers to see if they are still secured or if there are any visible signs of vulnerability. Seeing the dentist frequently can help detect diseases, abnormalities and early signs of decay. Further, attending regular check-ups and cleans is not only important for your health, it also keeps your treatment warranty valid.

Don’t chew hard foods – Anything that can chip or crack your tooth can also chip or crack your veneer. Direct pressure with hard foods on the end of a veneer may cause it damage. For this reason, we recommend avoiding biting directly into hard foods (e.g. ice, raw carrots, corn and nuts). Instead chop them up into small bite sized pieces. If damaged, a veneer will need to be replaced. This also goes for chewing hard objects. If you have a habit of chewing on pens, pencils or opening bottles with teeth, this can be harmful to your veneers.

Avoid teeth grinding (Bruxism) – When we become stressed, have an abnormal bite or even a sleeping disorder we might grind our teeth together. We recommend to our patients (especially those with porcelain veneers) to have a night guard made to help protect teeth during sleep. Teeth grinding or clenching at night in some cases may cause damage to veneers.

Avoid staining foods – Porcelain veneers are stain-resistant, however, over time certain foods and drink can tarnish their pearly white appearance. The worst offenders for staining veneers are coffee, tea, wine and cigarettes. If you are not ready to give up your favourite drink, try drinking out of a straw as this can limit stains on teeth.