Foods and Drinks to Avoid with Veneers
Teeth that are chipped, cracked, misshaped, or stained can be concealed with porcelain veneers. These thin shells of porcelain are placed by a dentist on the front surface of a tooth to conceal virtually any dental imperfection.
Dr. Brian Bell can place porcelain veneers at his Lake Jackson, TX practice to give you a more beautiful smile. You can keep your smile bright and attractive by learning about which foods and drinks to avoid with veneers.
A Closer Look at Porcelain Veneers
Receiving a porcelain veneer usually requires some alterations to the tooth. To receive a dental veneer, your tooth will be prepped by having some enamel removed. Impressions are taken of the altered teeth and sent to a dental lab where your veneer is custom-crafted for you.
It takes about two weeks to receive your permanent veneer. In the meantime, your dentist may place a temporary veneer on the affected tooth to protect it while your veneer is fabricated.
When your permanent veneer is ready, you will return to our practice to have it placed. Your dentist will lightly buff the tooth and then adhere the veneer carefully with specialized dental cement.
Foods to Avoid with Temporary Veneers
Since your temporary veneer is not permanently attached to your tooth, it is more prone to damage than a permanent veneer. To reduce the incidence of damage, it is advised that patients avoid the following foods:
- Chewy foods, like steak and candies
- Hard foods, like apples and ice
- Breads with hard crusts
- Crunchy foods like nuts, pretzels, and seeds
Foods to Avoid with Permanent Veneers
While your permanent veneers are designed to be durable and function like natural teeth, it is a good idea to avoid or limit the following:
- Hard foods, like hard candies, can chip the porcelain
- Ice can chip or break veneers and natural teeth
- Biting on non-food items and using the teeth like tools to open objects will put your veneer in jeopardy of being damaged
Maintaining a Bright Smile
While your veneer is made from dental-grade porcelain that is resistant to staining, the veneer can take on a slightly different hue at the edges over time. This is caused by consuming darkly-colored foods and drinks. Additionally, the shade of your natural teeth can change due to what you consume. In such cases, your natural teeth may end up a darker or yellowed hue compared to the veneers.
An effective way to avoid veneer and tooth discoloration is by minimizing how frequently you drink darkly-colored drinks like red wine, tea, and coffee. Foods that are likely to cause stains include berries, tomato sauce, and soy sauce.
If you do consume these drinks and foods, it is advised that you brush your teeth shortly after drinking or eating these items to remove the stain-causing drink and food particles from your teeth. Another good idea is to drink dark beverages through a straw to minimize contact with the teeth.
Learn More about Protecting Your Veneers
Porcelain veneers have become a popular cosmetic dental treatment in recent years due to how effectively they transform the smile. Learn how porcelain veneers can deliver the smile of your dreams by giving us a call today at (979) 297-1201. You can also fill out our online form. We will get back to you as soon as possible.