A brighter smile makes you look and feel good and healthy. Unfortunately, your teeth can get stained over time. Smoking, certain medications, poor dental hygiene, and regular consumption of highly colored and acidic food items are key factors to blame for teeth staining, yellowing, or discoloration.
Your restorations are worse if they get stained. Our dentist can help you whiten them! Visit our dentist in Claremont, NH, dental office to see how you can improve your veneers for a brighter and healthier smile.
What are Dental Veneers?
Veneers are thin tooth-colored shells bonded over the damaged tooth to repair or hide dental imperfections. Dental veneers address dental flaws like cracks, misalignments, improper gaps, misshapen, breaks, chips, and discoloration. Veneers are customized to your natural teeth, giving a whiter, straighter, healthier, and uniform smile. Contact our dentist for dental veneers in Claremont, NH.
Types of Dental Veneers
There are two main types of veneers, including:
- Porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers are made from porcelain, making them incredibly strong, long-lasting, and esthetically appealing. They also resist damage and staining extremely well.
- Composite Veneers. These veneers are composite resin materials. They offer great aesthetics and are relatively durable. However, they aren’t as durable and stain-resistant as porcelain veneers.
Can you Whiten Your Stained Veneers?
Your veneers can get stained, yellowed, or discolored. They resist staining better than your natural teeth and composite veneers.
On the other hand, composite veneers can easily get stained from regular habits like smoking and consuming colored items. When your teeth and veneers get stained, the obvious solution would be to whiten them. Teeth whitening entails using bleaching agents like hydrogen peroxide to break down and remove stains.
Unfortunately, dental veneers don’t respond well to whitening or bleaching agents. The only certain to whiten veneers is to visit a dentist near you. If you have composite veneers, your dentist can polish them to give them a brighter appearance depending on how old or stained they are. If you have porcelain veneers, the best way to enhance their appearance is to have them replaced with newer ones.
Caring for Your Veneers
Fortunately, good oral care and habits can help you maintain brighter and stronger veneers for years to come. Use these tips to care for your teeth and veneers:
- Brush and floss regularly. Brushing and flossing help eliminate food particles and debris from your teeth’ surfaces. After placing veneers, it’s essential to brush and floss after meals or at least twice daily.
- Avoid tobacco products and excessive alcohol consumption. Tobacco products can result in deep and stubborn stains on your teeth and veneers. If you must smoke, ensure your brush your teeth afterward. Excess alcohol can also soften the veneers, making your veneers and teeth vulnerable to stains and damage.
- Avoid or limit staining food items. While veneers are difficult to stain, regular consumption of colored and acidic items can stain them or make them look dull. If a day can’t pass without taking coffee, tea, red wine, dark chocolate, soda, and other highly pigmented items, then make sure you brush or rinse your mouth thoroughly afterward.
- Avoid abrasive oral products. While strong oral products might seem effective in removing stains, they can cause your teeth and veneers to wear down and discolor.
- Schedule regular dental cleanings and check-ups. Visiting the dentist for professional cleaning and check-up will ensure your teeth and veneers are perfect.
- Avoid excessively hard foods. Your veneers can chip, crack, or break from excessive pressure like your natural teeth. Avoid chewing ice, hard candy, pens, nuts, and nails.
- Wear a mouthguard. Sports accidents and regular teeth grinding and clenching can cause your veneers to wear down or get damaged over time.
Schedule an Appointment Today
For more information about dental veneers and other restorative treatments, contact Claremont Dental Group.
