Finding the Best Toothpaste for Porcelain Veneers
At Bell Dental, Dr. Brian Bell and Dr. Justin Crocker offer porcelain veneers to enhance the beauty of the smile. Porcelain veneers are thin ceramic shells that cover the front of the teeth to improve their size, shape, and color. Porcelain veneers are durable, but they can become damaged if they are not cared for properly.
After porcelain veneers treatment, our Lake Jackson, TX, patients need to continue to brush and floss their teeth regularly to prevent tooth decay and other dental damage. However, it is important that patients choose the best toothpaste for porcelain veneers so that their prosthetics continue to look good and remain strong enough to endure normal oral functions.
Do I Need a Toothpaste Specifically Formulated for Veneers?
When patients begin looking into what kind of toothpaste to use after treatment, they may find some products that are specifically formulated for dental restorations. Unfortunately, many of these toothpastes cost at least double the amount of most toothpastes. Toothpastes that are designed for dental restorations are a safe and effective choice for porcelain veneers, but they are not a necessity. If you are willing to do a little leg work, you should be able to find a suitable toothpaste on your regular grocery or drug store shelf.
What Should I Look For?
There are two key factors that our Lake Jackson patients should keep in mind when shopping for a toothpaste for porcelain veneers: cavity protection and abrasiveness.
- Cavity protection: It is very important that patients choose a toothpaste that will protect the teeth from cavities or more serious forms of tooth decay. Porcelain veneers cannot develop tooth decay, but patients need to remember that their natural teeth are sitting just beneath their veneers, and they are vulnerable to decay. Toothpastes that contain fluoride provide the best cavity protection.
- Abrasiveness: Porcelain veneers are strong enough to withstand biting and chewing, just like the natural teeth. But, if a toothpaste is too abrasive, it can scratch the surface of veneers, which can compromise their appearance. To find out how abrasive a toothpaste is, you can do a quick search for the toothpaste’s RDA value. Ideally, porcelain veneers patients should use a toothpaste with an RDA value below 100.
Toothpastes to Avoid
It is important for our Lake Jackson patients to read all labels when they are looking for a toothpaste that will preserve their porcelain veneers. If one of the primary ingredients is abrasive (like hydrogen peroxide or baking soda), then the toothpaste is probably too rough for dental veneers.
Whitening toothpastes in general are a poor choice for porcelain veneers. Whitening toothpastes do not enhance the color of porcelain veneers. And if porcelain veneers become scratched by harsh whitening toothpastes, they are more likely to become dull or take on an unwanted grayish hue.
Contact Us
If your smile is blemished by dental stains, chips, cracks, or minor misalignment problems, porcelain veneers can give you the straight, white, attractive teeth you desire. Contact us to learn more about this cosmetic dentistry treatment, or schedule an appointment at Bell Dental.
