Foods to Eat and Avoid with Your Veneers

What Are Dental Veneers?

They are tooth-shaped and tooth-colored porcelain shells that repair and restore teeth’ enamels. Dentists in Portland, Oregon, use dental veneers to improve the appearance of teeth in cosmetic dentistry in Portland. Unlike dental crowns, veneers are attached to the front surfaces of teeth only. It makes them more of a cosmetic solution to dental issues than functional restorative measures.

Although porcelain is the most common material for creating dental veneers, we can offer you composite veneers at Laurelhurst Dentistry. They feature a tooth-colored composite resin that works similarly to porcelain. However, porcelain veneers are stronger and longer lasting than composite ones.

What Do Dental Veneers Do?

Dental veneers fix dental flaws by masking them from the front side. A cosmetic dentist can use veneers to modify a tooth regarding its shape, size, color, and general alignment. Some of the ways that dental veneers improve smiles are:

1. Teeth whitening – the cosmetic dentist can use veneer teeth to mask the stains on your smile. Dental veneers can, in fact, whiten your teeth more than their original color. You will only need to select a whiter shade of veneer teeth than the color of your natural teeth.
2. Teeth alignment – the spacing of teeth in the jawbone affects the general appearance of your teeth. Spaces between teeth draw unnecessary attention. The stakes are higher if you have crooked or overlapping teeth. The dentist can employ dental veneers to change the spacing in your smile.
3. Teeth sculpting, also called teeth contouring – entails changing the shapes and sizes of teeth to improve their appearance. Veneers can lengthen, shorten, widen or completely change the shapes of your natural teeth.

Fast Fact about Dental Veneers

To get the motivation necessary for taking care of your veneer teeth, understand the following facts about them:

1. They are not permanent – if you are not careful with handling your teeth after getting veneers, they can fall off. They adhere to your natural teeth due to dental cement.
2. They cannot be whitened – although porcelain veneers are better t resisting stains than composite ones, they can still get stained if you are not vigilant with oral hygiene. Since you cannot bleach them, you may have to live with stained teeth or seek retreatment to replace them.
3. They can get damaged – veneer teeth are not completely tamper-proof. They can crack, break, and chip. The stakes are higher with composite veneers, which are not as sturdy as the porcelain ones.
4. They can get decayed – even after getting veneer teeth, your natural teeth can still get decayed. Cavities can begin to form underneath the veneer teeth, causing irreversible dental problems.

Caring for Your Veneer Teeth After Treatment

Many factors are crucial for excellent dental health after getting veneers. For one, your dental hygiene can dictate the state of your dental veneers for the next few years. Aside from keeping a clean mouth, you must be very keen when choosing the foods to eat. Sometimes you may have to forfeit some of your favorite foods to optimally care for your veneer teeth. The following guidelines should help you maneuver your food choices after getting veneers:

Foods You Can Eat with Veneer Teeth

The key to choosing the right foods with veneer teeth is to ensure they are soft. Soft foods will avoid direct and indirect damage to your newly modified teeth.

1. Mashed potatoes
2. Yogurts
3. Chicken
4. Eggs
5. Canned foods
6. Bananas
7. Pasta

Foods You Should Not Eat with Veneers

Unfortunately, you may have to give up some of your favorite foods and drinks when you get dental veneers, including the following:

1. Dark liquids like tea, coffee, and red wine – are heavily pigmented, which may stain your veneers.
2. Hard and crunchy foods like ice, candy, and some raw vegetables – these foods may crack, chip, or break your veneer teeth.
3. Sticky foods like chewing gum and caramel – may be caught in between or under the veneer teeth, or worse, tamper with the dental cement.
4. Alcohol – may affect the dental cement holding the veneer in place.
5. Chewy foods like tough meat cuts – require too much chewing.