Dental veneers are an excellent option for getting the perfect smile you’ve always wanted. Veneers are tooth coverings that look and feel identical to natural teeth. Veneers cover your natural teeth, concealing chips, stains, and abnormal teeth in the process.
If you are getting dental veneers expect that it will take a few visits to complete the process. Also, expect to wear temporary veneers, which are made of much softer material — acryl fixed with temporary cement. The purpose of temporary veneers is to protect your natural teeth while your permanent veneers are being crafted in a lab.
Your dentist will discuss the entire process, the steps involved, and what to expect after treatment with you, including how to care for your veneers. Here are tips on eating and drinking with temporary and permanent veneers.
What To Eat and Drink
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Temporary Veneers
Temporary veneers can get damaged easily. While wearing temporary veneers, eat soft foods that are non-staining. You can tell what staining foods are by their color. Bright red, bright orange, and bright yellow foods can stain your teeth. Coffee, tea, and wine can cause stains, as well as curry, ketchup, tomato soup, and chocolate.
Foods that can break natural teeth, such as ice, hard and sticky candy, crunchy foods, bones of meat, raw carrots, and apples are even worse for highly vulnerable temporary veneers. Chicken soup, mashed potatoes, pasta, bananas, soft bread (minus the crust), eggs, and whitefish are safer for your temporary veneers.
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Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers, which are highly durable and stain-resistant, can break down and lose their resistance to stains. Highly acidic foods can break down the bonding agent of veneers. So, it’s best to avoid continuous consumption of lemon juice, orange juice, vinegar, and tomatoes. Alcohol can also accelerate the breakdown of the bonding agent, so reduce your consumption of alcoholic drinks.
As for stains, with porcelain veneers, the occasional coffee, tea, or wine is fine. However, frequent intake of these can cause stains just as they would on your natural teeth. To minimize the risk of staining, rinse your mouth with water or brush your teeth after consuming.
Porcelain veneers are built to last long and withstand a lot. However, they do not have the tensile strength of natural teeth; they are also invulnerable to breaking. If you must eat hard foods, try moving them to the back of the mouth. Avoid frequently chewing on ice, hard candies, tough bread and meats, and hard nuts, for example.
Maintaining good oral hygiene can also protect your dental veneers and natural teeth that remain. Make sure to brush twice a day, floss, and get routine dental cleanings from your dentist.
Dental Veneers Near Me
If you are located in St. Paul, Minnesota, you have Dr. Steven Hagerman of Hagerman Dental Care to give you the perfect smile you’ve always wanted. Dr. Hagerman is a cosmetic dentist with years of experience in the field of dentistry. He is highly skilled in installing porcelain veneers. To make an appointment with Dr. Hagerman, call our dental clinic at (651) 646-2392 or use our online form. We look forward to helping you achieve the smile of your dreams.