After you have received cosmetic dentistry and returned home with a beautiful smile, you will likely feel quite elated. It’s a wonderful feeling to look at yourself in the mirror and to feel good about what you see! However, you may find that this moment is laced with a bit of reservation and concern. What do you need to do to care for your smile once your smile looks lovely? Fortunately, keeping it up is no big deal! Let’s review the way you may care for your improvements (and your oral health) with ease.
Do What You Usually Do
When you care for your teeth before you receive cosmetic dentistry, what do you do? Hopefully (if you’re following the proper care guidelines), you brush your smile and you floss. You also contact us twice a year for a dental checkup and a dental cleaning. We suggest you keep doing this after a cosmetic treatment to keep your smile looking as beautiful as ever. It is truly that easy. As for the specifics let’s review:
- Brush your teeth every day (twice a day, to be exact)
- Floss your teeth every day (just once)
Skip Potentially Damaging Things
Did you receive veneers or bonding as your cosmetic dentistry treatment? If so, don’t bite into something that you assume is probably too hard for your smile, don’t snack or chew on hard items like ice, and don’t chew on your pen. Want to protect the shade of your teeth? Anything that seems like it could stain your natural teeth will stain whitened teeth and artificial tissue, too. For instance, that means you might need to reel in your coffee habit (or at least follow a cup of coffee with some water and, preferably, make a quick trip to the bathroom to brush your teeth).