Everyone loves a radiant smile. Long-lasting, shiny, tooth-colored porcelain veneers, a specialty of Dr. Kelley Mingus’s dentistry practice in Bend, Oregon, provide this allure. However, certain habits could negatively impact your porcelain veneers. This comprehensive guide explores one of those potential harmful practices – vaping.
Vaping and Oral Health
Despite the continuous warnings about the dangers of smoking, people are exploring alternative methods of nicotine intake — such as vapes. Vaping, also often inaccurately touted as a safer option to traditional cigarettes, can significantly affect oral health, including on those sparkly porcelain veneers we love so much.
Porcelain Veneers: An Overview
First, let us quickly revisit porcelain veneers for broader context. They are custom-made, tooth-colored shells attached to the front of teeth that are discolored, stained, or worn down. Dr. Kelley Mingus and his team in Bend, Oregon, design these veneers to enhance your smile while complementing your facial features.
How Vaping Impacts Your Porcelain Veneers
Many people believe vaping is harmless to dental health, especially if they have porcelain veneers. Unfortunately, this thinking may be misguided. Here are the vaping effects on your porcelain veneers:
Nicotine Stains
Nicotine is not just addictive – it also leaves yellowish stains over time. And while the veneers are naturally resistant to stains, long-term exposure to nicotine can tarnish your porcelain veneers, making your beautiful smile dull.
Dry Mouth
Vaping can lead to chronic dry mouth, depriving your mouth of the necessary saliva. It’s crucial to know that saliva helps in neutralizing acids and prevents plaque build-up. Dry mouth can thus weaken the glue that holds your porcelain veneers, thereby reducing their lifespan.
Gum Damage
Nicotine in vapes can cause gum recession, which might expose the base of your veneers, ruining their appearance and making them unstable.
Preserving Your Porcelain Veneers Amidst Vaping
Are you an avid vaper, and do you desire keeping your porcelain veneers sparkling for a long time? Here are some valuable tips:
- Rinse your mouth with water after vaping. Water will help to reduce the concentration of nicotine that comes into contact with your veneers.
- Brush and floss after vaping. Best oral hygiene practices will keep your veneers and mouth clean and limit potential nicotine staining.
- Drink a lot of water to combat dry mouth, a side effect of vaping. Water helps in maintaining saliva flow.
- Consider nicotine-free vape juices. These will not impart the yellowing stains that nicotine causes.
- Visit your dentist regularly. Check-ups and cleanings will monitor your veneers and help to manage any potential harm from vaping.
If you consistently observe these practices, you stand a better chance of maintaining your porcelain veneers despite vaping. However, the best remedy is to quit vaping entirely. It’s no easy task, but the rewards, including excellent oral health and long-lasting veneers, are well worth it. If quitting vaping is far-fetched, Dr. Kelley Mingus can discuss alternatives with you and suggest various cessation tools to help meet your goal.
Trustworthy Porcelain Veneers from Kelley Mingus
In conclusion, the cultivation of positive dental habits is essential, especially if you’re a vaper with porcelain veneers. Dr. Kelley Mingus and his team strive to support you through your journey of maintaining an appealing smile. Despite porcelain veneers’ impressive resistance against stains, vaping can threaten their appearance and lifespan. But with the right practices and regular visits to your dentist, it is entirely achievable to retain your gleaming smile.