If you have recently decided to improve your smile appearance and invest in cosmetic dentistry, you can expect great rewards. Enhancing the aesthetics of your smile can boost your self-esteem, support your professional career and even make you look younger. Cosmetic dentistry, however, is elective. This means that it is typically not covered by insurance. Therefore, it becomes even more important to understand ways you can protect and maximize your cosmetic dentistry investment.
Today’s advancements in cosmetic dentistry offer solutions that are top-ranked in durability. However, even the most proven choices are not invincible. Whether you are choosing teeth whitening or porcelain veneers, there are ways you can extend your results and avoid repairs.
Your smile makeover can last longer if you pay attention to the following:
Bad Habits
Always avoid chewing ice, opening plastic bottles with your teeth, biting your fingernails and grinding your teeth. These habits are likely to wreak havoc on your natural teeth as well as your cosmetic dentistry treatments, including veneers and tooth-colored fillings.
Poor Dental Hygiene
Whether you’ve just whitening your teeth or received a full set of porcelain veneers, it can be easy to think that you smile is as clean as it is beautiful. However, bacteria and plaque can collect on pretty teeth just like they can on an unsightly smile. Therefore, it is critical that you maintain your brushing and flossing habits and see your dentist on a regular basis. You don’t want gum disease or decay to compromise your cosmetic dentistry investment.
Mouth Injuries
Are you involved in sports or other active adventures? If so, are you protecting your teeth while you play? An injury to your brand new smile can happen in seconds. However, you can greatly reduce your chances of chipping a tooth or even losing a tooth if you wear a custom mouthguard during sports.
Your Diet
It is important to pay attention to what you eat after you’ve received your cosmetic dental service. To retain a white and healthy smile, stay away from sugary and acidic foods and drinks as much as possible. In addition, try to avoid staining culprits like coffee, red wine, berries and dark sodas. A professional teeth whitening treatment can last much longer if you are careful with your diet.
At Thousand Oaks Dental, we offer a full menu of cosmetic dental services. While we are known for producing superior results, we take extra measures to make sure patients understand how to maintain those results. Call us today to schedule your consultation for cosmetic dentistry!
Posted on behalf of Thousand Oaks Dental