Can You Eat Normally With Porcelain Veneers?

Upgrading your smile with porcelain veneers is one of the most exciting dental improvements you can make. With porcelain dental veneers, you can get a truly Hollywood-worthy smile that has you looking and feeling more confident than ever. Once you see your newly enhanced smile, one of the first questions you may ask is how to keep it looking as good as it does on day one for as long as possible and, more specifically, if there are any foods you should avoid with veneers.

Many patients are excited to learn that they can continue to eat their favorite foods even with veneers. However, there are some important considerations and modifications that may be needed, like avoiding biting directly into apples and rinsing after staining foods and beverages. Here, Frisco, TX dentist Dr. Camelia Cooper and our knowledgeable team at Sweet Tooth Dental Loft share valuable information on what to know about eating and drinking with porcelain veneers to help keep your smile looking its best for the long term.

What do veneers help with?

There are a number of popular reasons to get porcelain veneers, which are primarily considered cosmetic dental restorations. Some of the most common dental imperfections that can be addressed with porcelain dental veneers include:

• Chipped teeth
• Cracked tooth
• Gap between teeth
• Uneven tooth length
• Small teeth
• Short teeth
• Stained teeth
• Yellow teeth

With porcelain dental veneers, patients can address these types of issues on a single tooth or multiple teeth to create a more attractive, uniform smile that they can show off proudly.

Is there anything you can't eat with veneers?

Eating with veneers generally comes with the same concerns as you'd have with natural teeth, though there are some added considerations that can help to protect your investment for longer. Generally speaking, people with dental veneers should avoid staining foods and beverages as well as things that can damage porcelain veneers — like certain habits and lifestyle choices. Some important dietary considerations for porcelain veneers include:

• Use a knife and fork vs. biting directly into foods when possible
• Cut/slice hard, tough, or chewy foods — like an apple or steak — into bite-size pieces
• Do not chew ice
• Stay away from hard, sticky, and gummy candies and snacks
• Avoid drinks and foods that stain porcelain veneers, like tomato sauce, red wine, coffee, tea, and others (or rinse right after if possible)

Additional habits to avoid for preserving your veneers for as long as possible include:

• Biting your nails
• Using your teeth as tools
• Not wearing a night guard if you clench and grind
• Not wearing an athletic mouth guard during high-risk activities, like contact sports
• Smoking and using tobacco products

How long do porcelain veneers last?

With proper care, high-quality porcelain veneers like those used by Dr. Cooper can last up to 20 years. In addition to considering dietary choices and other habits listed above, some tips for keeping your veneers looking their best for as long as possible include brushing with a nonabrasive toothpaste, flossing, rinsing with a recommended mouthwash, and keeping your regularly scheduled appointments for dental exams and teeth cleanings at our friendly Frisco, TX family dental office.

Give your smile the celebrity treatment with porcelain veneers in Frisco, TX

If you're tired of hiding your stained, chipped, or otherwise imperfect teeth and you're ready to give your smile an upgrade, porcelain veneers offer a convenient option that requires few — if any — adjustments to your diet and lifestyle. Start the process of transforming your smile today by contacting our knowledgeable team at Sweet Tooth Dental Loft to schedule your consultation and exam with Frisco, TX porcelain veneer provider and family dentist Dr. Camelia Cooper.