Maximising the Lifespan of
your Dental Veneers

EK Dental Surgery often recommends porcelain veneers for patients who have chipped, damaged, or discolored teeth or teeth that are misaligned and not a fit for the Invisalign® treatment. Porcelain veneers can replace the visible portion of your teeth with a thin, tooth-colored layer.

Veneers have a lot of advantages. They can address a variety of concerns for patients with otherwise good dental health. They can transform your smile within only a few visits to our office.

With help from a knowledgeable, practiced dentist, veneers look and feel like natural teeth.

But if you are considering getting veneers, you may have one big question, “How long do veneers last, and what can I do to help?”

Porcelain vs. composite veneers

Porcelain dental veneers definitely last longer than composite veneers – up to three times as long according to some sources. Composite veneers also have the potential to chip at times and must then be repaired, while porcelain veneers rarely need maintenance once they have been applied to a patient’s teeth. Normally, composite resin veneers will last four to eight years for most patients. There are also a variety of veneer care and maintenance factors that can help extend their life and beauty.

Porcelain veneers will last 10 to 25 years – quite a difference in terms of longevity, though porcelain veneers are a more prudent investment in a patient’s mouth.

Now to the question of how long they will last?

Let’s break this question down into sections.

Can they break? Yes, they can – just as it can with nature teeth. Veneers can chip or fracture if subjected to damage or other overload. And much l like tooth enamel, the destructive forces of a grinding or clenching habit can gradually destroy them.

Can they come off? The best answer is rarely. Sometimes a ceramic veneer becomes detached, due to an error in materials handling or performance. More commonly, though, the cause of veneers coming off is due to insufficient dental enamel in the first place. This is why it is important to choose a dentist you trust in treating your teeth.

Will veneers remain attractive? Most likely. Some people do eventually reach a point at which they are no longer happy with their veneers and want them renewed. One issue is gum recession. Veneer join lines are hidden at the gum edge, and as gums recede the lines may become visible. Sometimes accumulated stain at the margin line that was previously hidden can become evident or the darker natural tooth underneath can become apparent.

What can I do to protect my veneers?

Veneers are quite strong and up to most of the forces you generate when you chew your food. But dental porcelain is also a form of glass — meaning it can be damaged or destroyed. Paying heed to a few guidelines can help you avoid damaged veneers and additional dental costs.

Practice daily oral hygiene. Although veneers aren’t subject to disease or decay, the tooth they beautify is. Brush and floss veneered teeth just as you do your natural teeth. If you’re concerned, ask your Glen Waverley dentist for a toothpaste recommendation.

Avoid excessive biting or chewing. Even with natural teeth we should avoid applying too much biting force to hard materials. This is even more important for veneers, which, again, are actually a kind of glass. Using your teeth to open nuts or chewing on bones, pencils, fingernails, and other hard objects are just a few of the activities that could lead to a shattered veneer.

Use a bite guard for bruxism. Excess grinding or clenching of teeth (bruxism) can put dangerous stress on veneers. One way to relieve some of this stress is to wear a bite guard at night. The guard protects your veneers during sleep.

Limit foods and drinks that cause staining. Tea, coffee, wine and similar substances can leave teeth stained and dingy. Although your new veneers won’t typically stain, the natural teeth around them can — the brighter veneers would then stand out prominently from the dingier natural teeth.

Protect Your Teeth. If you play sports or other contact activity, you should wear a mouth guard or some other kind of protection to be sure that your veneers are safe. Basketball, football, wrestling, and other contact sports can put teeth and veneers at risk.

Porcelain veneers are proven “smile improvers.” Taking good care of them by following a few common sense precautions will ensure the improvement is long-lasting.

Reasons to Smile at EK Dental Surgery!

EK Dental Surgery offers a wide range of preventative and cosmetic dental procedures for children, seniors, and everyone in between! At EK Dental we can help you achieve maximal dental health and a movie-star smile!

Call us on (03) 9887 8787 or visit us at 230 Springvale Road Glen Waverley.