At first, you might think teeth with veneers are safe from cavities. After all, they’re covered by layers of protective porcelain, right? Doesn’t that mean harmful bacteria and acids can’t reach them? In truth, though, even veneered teeth can suffer from cavities and decay. For that reason, correctly maintaining your veneers is essential. If you’d like to learn more, your Burien dentist has the scoop. Here’s a summary of how teeth with veneers can get cavities and tips on caring for your prosthetics.
Wait, You *Can* Get Cavities with Veneers?
Of course, veneers themselves can’t get cavities. Being made of porcelain, they’re artificial and only adhere to tooth surfaces. However, the underlying teeth they stick to can.
Unfortunately, veneers still allow certain tooth structures to decay. For one thing, they leave the back sides of teeth exposed to bacteria and plaque. Furthermore, an improperly placed or aged veneer can let bacteria sneak beneath it and attack your dentin. Given these facts, a veneered tooth can suffer cavities over time.
Adding insult to injury, a cavity can actually ruin a veneer treatment. To treat it, your dentist will have to remove the porcelain layer and give you a new one later.
How to Properly Care for Veneers
Thankfully, you can prevent cavities by giving your treatment the proper care. In fact, maintaining your veneers could even help them last for twenty to thirty years! That being said, here are some great ways to care for them in the future:
- Practice Good Oral Hygiene: As you always should, remember to brush your teeth twice daily, floss once daily, and rinse with mouthwash as needed. Doing so will remove the bacteria and plaque that cause cavities.
- Avoid Bad Mouth Habits: Veneers are durable but can chip and break if you aren’t careful. Therefore, avoid chewing on overly hard objects like pens, nails, ice, etc.
- See Your Dentist Often: To ensure you have healthy teeth, you should visit your dentist for regular checkups and cleanings. That way, they can diagnose and treat issues before they threaten your veneers.
- Use a Mouthguard for Sports: Like natural teeth, veneers can get damaged from injuries and other trauma. As such, consider wearing a mouthguard when playing sports. The appliance will protect your whole smile from external forces.
Ultimately, veneers can’t stop teeth from getting cavities; that job is up to you. Remember, then, to follow the care tips above!
About the Practice
Seahurst Smiles of Burien is based in Burien, WA. As led by Dr. Vincent Lam, our practice provides high-quality dental care for many families. To that end, we perform preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry, not to mention emergency smile procedures. Our office is also proud to provide therapies for TMJ disorders and periodontal disease. For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (206)-242-4477.