If you feel self-conscious about one or more flaws in your grin, you’re not alone. Millions of people every year turn to cosmetic dentistry to address aesthetic concerns and enhance their appearance. For example, if you have chipped or stubbornly stained enamel, your provider can place porcelain veneers to perfect your smile and boost your confidence.
However, many patients wonder whether there are dietary restrictions that come with placing these restorations. If you’re considering veneers, continue reading to learn more about what to expect!
What Are Veneers?
Veneers are thin, ceramic shells that are customized to be the right shape, shade, and size to match your natural teeth seamlessly. Then, they are cemented over their front surfaces to mask one or several issues, such as cracks, chips, deep discoloration, minor gaps, and mild overcrowding.
For them to fit correctly, your dentist must remove a small amount of enamel, which doesn’t regenerate. This slightly increases your vulnerability to common oral health issues, such as decay, damage, and disease. Thankfully, these covers are strong enough to resist chipping and staining, providing the underlying teeth with an added layer of protection. Plus, they can last 20+ years with the right care.
Do Veneers Require Dietary Changes?
After your dentist preps your teeth, they make impressions of your mouth and take images to send to a dental laboratory to create your cosmetics. Then, they’ll likely fit you with temporary veneers to safeguard your smile until the permanent ones are delivered in a few weeks.
Although they’re incredibly durable, certain foods can harm your temporary or permanent prosthetics, outlined in more detail below:
Temporary Veneers
These aren’t intended to last longer than two to three weeks, so they’re not as resilient as your final restorations will be. That means they’re especially vulnerable to being harmed by overly hard, crunchy, pigmented, or sticky foods. Common culprits include crusty breads, raw fruits and veggies, hard candies, taffy, coffee, tea, and wine.
Permanent Veneers
Your finished veneers are much more durable so you can enjoy a wider variety of wholesome foods to support your oral and overall health. However, it’s still best to avoid dark foods that can stain your enamel faster than the ceramic, like coffee, tea, and wine. It’s also wise to minimize your alcohol consumption because it can dissolve the cement anchoring your restoration to your enamel. Hard snacks like popcorn and nuts might also chip or crack the shells if you’re not careful.
Your dentist will provide all the information you will need to know about caring for your veneers after your appointment. Following their directions carefully is the best way to maintain your upgraded grin moving forward!
Meet the Author
Dr. Anil Patel is passionate about helping families in Fort Worth build and maintain healthy, beautiful smiles. He initially completed his Bachelor of Dental Surgery at the Government Dental College Ahmedabad in Gujarat, then moved to the U.S. and earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry in Los Angeles. Today, he provides a comprehensive menu of services, including veneers, to meet all your needs at one convenient location. His caring approach is combined with advanced technology to offer accurate treatments intended to last. You can request a cosmetic consultation on the website or by calling (817) 717-6788.