Do you have porcelain in your mouth? Did you know that there are guidelines to care for your dental porcelain? If we placed a porcelain crown or porcelain veneers, then the answer is “yes.” While you may feel concerned about keeping these prosthetics looking beautiful and immaculate, you may not really know what to do to make sure that happens. The good news is that porcelain is known for its resilience as well as its stain resistance, so you will not need to do anything exceptionally special to safeguard its appearance. The even better news is that the maintenance we will suggest is quite simple to follow, so you can expect caring for your porcelain crowns and other prosthetics to be quite easy and effective. Learn more with the following quiz:
Porcelain Care Quiz: True or False?
- True or False: Caring for fake ceramic teeth is very easy because porcelain is artificial – you can’t really do anything to harm this substance.
- True or False: Your veneers and crowns will continue to resist stains no matter what you eat and drink, so you should not worry about the foods and beverages you consume.
- True or False: Even though porcelain is artificial, cleaning your smile daily is still very important.
Abrasive toothpastes can take the polish off of your dental crowns. Be sure to protect your veneers with low abrasive pastes.
Dental Quiz Answer Key
- False. Though porcelain is certainly known for its strength and durability – just like your natural teeth – they are not immune to damage. The suggestion includes using a soft-bristle toothbrush to clean your natural teeth as a way of protecting your enamel – it’s the same one we offer to clean your porcelain crowns and cosmetic veneers. Be gentle yet thorough – keep anything abrasive, including rough toothpastes, away from your smile.
- False. Though porcelain is resistant to staining, it is not completely immune. Caring for porcelain dental crowns and veneers will still require similar practices recommended for your natural teeth. If you want to keep your prosthetics nice and white, you will want to limit your intake of staining foods like coffee and berries. Or, you should at least rinse immediately after consuming them and brush your teeth 30 minutes later.
- True. Protecting your mouth from gum disease and tooth decay still requires you to clean every surface of your teeth, even if they have been partially or fully covered with a porcelain prosthetic. This will keep plaque and bacteria at bay. If cleaning becomes an issue, you could develop bad breath more easily with veneers.
Learn more about caring for the dental porcelain in your veneers
Aside from providing dependable general and restorative dentistry services to our community, Dr. James Fondriest also holds respected academic appointments at the Pankey Institute in Key Biscayne, FL, and the Spear Institute in Scottsdale, AZ, and he is a former adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Prosthodontics at the University of Florida Dental School. Dr. Fondriest combines his impressive array of experience with modern technology and caring, compassionate, knowledgeable staff, and we proudly serve patients from Chicago and all surrounding communities. To schedule a consultation, call our office today at (847) 234-0517.