How to Prepare Your Teeth for Dental Veneers
The teeth that you smile with can have an incredible impact on your face, and if they’re not in good shape, it can make it hard to feel confident in social situations. Luckily, dental veneers are an affordable and effective solution to correcting your teeth, even if they’re heavily stained or chipped. Here’s how to prepare your teeth for veneers before and after so that you can get the smile you’ve always wanted!
Begin with Brushing and Flossing
The first step in preparing your teeth for dental veneers is to make sure they’re brushed and flossed regularly. Without regular hygiene, it can be difficult (if not impossible) to properly clean underneath your gums. While daily brushing isn’t always possible, try your best to brush at least twice a day, especially after meals and snacks. If you don’t like using traditional toothbrushes or find that it takes too long, consider investing in an electric toothbrush; modern advances have made them significantly easier and more effective than their predecessors of just a few years ago. If you’re flossing daily, do it before brushing so that food remnants won’t gum up your toothbrush!
Use an Electric Toothbrush
How long do veneers last : Brush your teeth at least twice a day with an electric toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes, like Oral-B and Sonicare, can help you keep your pearly whites healthy because they clean more thoroughly than manual toothbrushes. Unlike manual brushes, they also don’t harm teeth by scrubbing too hard. For example, some people tend to brush their teeth in circles rather than moving in straight lines when using a manual brush. An electric toothbrush uses a spinning head that oscillates side-to-side or back-and-forth instead of rotating around and around your mouth (which is why it is important to move it along straight lines). This allows for easier access into hard-to-reach places and helps reduce damage caused by excessive scrubbing.
Use Mouthwash
One of your first steps toward dental veneers is making sure your teeth are clean and healthy. If you don’t have any major issues, try a gentle mouthwash—think baking soda or peroxide-based—for a few days before visiting your dentist; it will help freshen things up. Keep in mind that most toothpastes don’t remove stains well, so if there’s anything you can do to make sure your teeth are free of food and coffee staining, it might save you from having to pay more down the line. To get rid of tartar, use some white vinegar on your brush after brushing with regular toothpaste. It sounds odd but works wonders!
Eat Healthier Food
Once you have your teeth prepped for veneers, you need to be diligent about eating a healthier diet. The teeth you see in your mouth are only part of your set of pearly whites. You have many teeth that aren’t seen by others, including premolars and molars, which may not be as white as they could be. Veneers can hide minor dental imperfections on these hidden teeth, giving you a beautiful smile every time you flash a big grin.
Visit Your Dentist Regularly
Most people don’t like themselves when they see their own smile in photos. You may think your teeth are too big, your overbite is too severe, or you have crooked or stained teeth that make you cringe every time you look in a mirror. But chances are, there are plenty of other people out there who don’t like their own smiles either. Let go of your self-criticism and start appreciating other people’s beautiful smiles; soon enough, your mouth will follow suit. (source)
Consider Whitening Products
For people who have stained teeth, whitening products can remove those stains before applying veneers. Whitening products are toothpastes and gels that use a combination of chemicals (usually hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide) and light to remove surface stains on teeth. While they’re great at whitening yellowed or discolored teeth, they don’t affect stains below your enamel—so you still might need additional treatments like a dental bleaching session with your dentist.
Make sure you discuss any treatment options with your dentist, as some whitening products aren’t safe when combined with other dental procedures. Most over-the-counter whitening products last between two weeks and three months. When you find one that works well for you, buy it in bulk to save money. A few companies also sell multi-use kits where you get refills so that every time your product runs out, you just buy another box instead of starting from scratch again. Be aware though: many over-the-counter whiteners contain high levels of abrasives which wear down tooth enamel over time if used too frequently—or without protective wear like a custom mouth guard or night guard.
Learn to Appreciate Other People’s Beautiful Smiles
You know how amazing a white, bright smile looks on you. But do you realize what an impact it can have on others? Many of your friends may feel self-conscious about their teeth if they’re not pearly white. If you know someone who has a few stained or dull teeth, offer up your services as a dental veneer expert—they may have never even considered dental veneers before and would be more than thrilled to take you up on your offer! Teach them how to prepare their teeth for veneers so that they’ll be in good shape when their new smile arrives.