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Don't Let Dieting Impact Your Oral Health


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Don't Let Dieting Impact Your Oral Health

Like many people who need to lose a few pounds, I try diet after diet in an attempt to find one that finally works for me. I learned the hard way that I need to make sure any diet will not harm my teeth, even if it does help me lose a few pounds. I learned this lesson when following a grapefruit diet. There are many versions of this, but the version I tried had me eat a grapefruit alone several times each day. It was supposed to suppress my appetite. I helped keep me from munching on unhealthy snacks, but the acid in the fruit took a toll on my tooth enamel and I quickly started getting lots of cavities. I created this blog to remind people that change up their diets often to make sure the foods they are eating are not harming their teeth.

3 Questions About Getting Dental Veneers

You may have heard the term veneer before when shopping for furniture. It is used to describe an item that has a thin material on the surface to cover a raw material underneath.  This concept works great for furniture, and it also works well for teeth.

Dental veneers work by placing a thin layer of porcelain on the surface of teeth that are discolored or are otherwise unpleasant to look at. The veneers make your teeth look perfect to others. It's a great way to fix various dental problems as long as the teeth themselves are healthy. Here are a few questions about dental veneers you may have before you move forward with getting them.

Will Dental Veneers Damage The Original Teeth?

One thing you should know about dental veneers is that they will require some alterations to the original teeth in order to attach the porcelain shell.  This is because the veneers need a rough surface to attach to, and existing teeth can be very smooth and cause problems with the installation.

Your dentist will remove a small amount of enamel from the teeth that are getting dental veneers. This process is permanent, which makes dental veneers a lifelong commitment.  Thankfully, the process of creating veneers has improved over the years, so the amount of enamel that needs to be removed is minimal.

What Problems Can Dental Veneers Fix?

Dental veneers do so much more than just hide discoloration that is permanent.  Veneers are capable of reshaping teeth that are odd sizes and shapes. Any damage caused from a chipped tooth can easily be covered, and a short tooth can appear longer as well.

Any gaps between teeth would normally require braces to fix, but dental veneers can fill gaps so that it looks like your teeth are close together. The porcelain shells can be created in such a way that two veneers meet in the middle of where a gap is located, giving the illusion of not having a gap by making the front surface of your teeth slightly bigger.

What Care Is Needed For Dental Veneers?

Veneers should be flossed and brushed every day just as if they are real teeth. If you had a habit that discolored your teeth, such as smoking, know that resuming those bad habits can also cause discoloration to your veneers.  

For more info on getting dental veneers, speak with a cosmetic dentistry.