Protecting Your Dental Restorations

Cosmetic dentistry can dramatically improve the appearance of your smile. Damaged and discolored teeth can be covered with porcelain veneers and porcelain crowns, colored to match your natural teeth. Porcelain provides a strong, stain-resistant cover that when cared for properly can give you a beautiful smile for many years.

Protecting Porcelain Crowns and Veneers from Stains

Porcelain is a highly durable material for dental restorations, but it is not entirely indestructible. Stains will not penetrate the surface of quality porcelain restorations unless the porcelain has been damaged by:

• Highly abrasive toothpastes that wear away the outer glaze of the porcelain
• Excessive pressure while brushing or not using soft bristled toothbrushes that scratch the surface
• Sticky tar and other compounds in cigarettes that cling to the surface of the teeth
• Acidic foods and beverages, such as lemons, tomato-based sauces and sodas, that wear down the anti-staining resin
• Eating hard foods like hard candies, ice and very crunchy foods that can chip or roughen the surface of the porcelain
• Using your teeth as a tool for hard, non-food objects that can crack or roughen the porcelain surface
• Alcoholic beverages that soften the surface of the bonding resin

Most of these cause minor surface stains that can be easily removed with porcelain polishing during your regular professional dental cleaning. Damage to porcelain that cannot be repaired may need to be replaced.

Keep Your Smile White

Even if your porcelain crowns and veneers don’t stain, your natural teeth will. Veneers and crowns only look natural when the surrounding teeth are kept clean and white.

You can keep your smile bright and white by limiting teeth-staining foods and beverages such as red wine, soda and tomato sauces, and the use of tobacco. Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing daily help prevent the buildup of stains. Chewing sugarless gum creates more saliva, which offers teeth cleaning properties. Professional teeth whitening treatments can return your natural teeth to the color of your porcelain crowns and veneers, which are unaffected by teeth whitening and bleaching treatments.

Most importantly, be sure to schedule professional dental checkups and cleanings in our Scottsdale dental office at least twice a year.

Beautiful Smiles Happen at Dr. Rick Dentistry in Scottsdale

How beautiful your porcelain crowns and veneers look long-term depends a lot on how well you take care of them. Call us today and learn how we can help you get — and keep — a healthy, happy smile!