Best Toothpaste for Porcelain Veneers
You may assume that all toothpastes are generally the same in terms of their ability to clean your teeth and prevent serious dental health problems. The fact of the matter is that not all toothpastes are equal, especially when you porcelain veneers or crowns in place. Using the wrong toothpaste on your dental work could take years off of their durability. You could be doing more harm than good simply by cleaning your teeth.
Dr. Tim Simpson and the team at his Abilene, TX cosmetic dentistry center would like to discuss the right and wrong kinds of toothpastes for people who have porcelain veneers. Take these oral hygiene tips seriously so you can extend the life of your smile makeover.
Types of Toothpaste You Should Avoid
We always recommend that our Abilene patients avoid these two kinds of toothpastes after they’ve gotten porcelain veneers or crowns:
- Toothpastes with abrasives
- Teeth whitening toothpaste
These toothpastes damage veneers, causing premature wear and tear.
How Certain Ingredients Affect Porcelain Veneers
To understand why these kinds of toothpastes are bad for veneers, let’s look at the bad ingredients in each.
- The Problem with Abrasive Ingredients - Abrasive ingredients essentially act like sandpaper while brushing your teeth. The abrasives can wear away porcelain veneers with long term use. Abrasives take many forms, including baking soda, dehydrated silica gels, hydrated aluminum oxides, magnesium carbonate, and phosphate salts.
- The Problem with Bleaching Ingredients - Hydrogen peroxide is one of the most common whitening ingredients used. It can soften the porcelain veneers material, making it more susceptible to damage while brushing your teeth.
You can imagine a combination of abrasives and whitening ingredients doing some major damage to your smile.
The Best Option: Non-Abrasive Gel Toothpastes
If you have porcelain veneers or crowns, your best toothpaste option is non-abrasive gels. There are many types of these toothpastes around, and they are often labeled as being good for people with veneers, crowns, or cosmetic dentistry work in place.
If you need help finding these toothpastes, we can recommend some during the consultation process.
Your Toothbrush Also Matters
We should also note that your toothbrush can make a major difference when it comes to your dental health and wellness. A toothbrush with stiff, hard bristles can wear away veneers and tooth structure, and can also damage the gumline.
It’s best to use a toothbrush with a small head and soft bristles. This allows you to be delicate while cleaning your teeth and also gives you the ability to clean all the hard-to-reach areas and surfaces.
What Happens When You Need New Porcelain Veneers?
With proper care, porcelain veneers will last about 10 years, possibly more. When they need to be replaced, you can come back to our Abilene cosmetic dentistry practice to get new ones fitted and fabricated.
Learn More About Porcelain Veneers
For more information about porcelain veneers and how to make them last as long as possible, be sure to contact a skilled cosmetic and restorative dentist. Dr. Tim Simpson can be reached by phone at (325) 677-6553.