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Porcelain Veneers: Best Care Practices | Central Park West Dentist

Young woman smiling with perfect dental health

So, you have decided to make the investment and embark on the journey to get porcelain veneers. Once the process is over, you feel more confident than ever to show off your pearly whites to the world. Yet, when you are home taking care of them, you’re worried about damaging, stinging or otherwise failing to properly care for them. Here are some best care practices to consider to maintain your porcelain veneers for years to come.

Stop Clenching and Grinding- This bad habit is a great way to chip or break your veneers over time. Bruxism, or the grinding of teeth at night, can be avoided by incorporating a night guard when you sleep. Reducing stress or finding alternative means to clenching your teeth will also go a long way in maintaining your new pearly whites.

Avoid Unnecessary Force- Nail biting, chewing ice, and forceful brushing can break or dislodge a veneer; they can also be the reason your dentist recommended veneers, to begin with. It’s important to make an effort to avoid these habits for the longevity of your veneers.

Good Oral Hygiene- Maintaining good oral hygiene such as regular brushing, flossing, and incorporating a mouthwash is great for your natural teeth and veneers. Veneers are placed along the gemlike to retain the appearance of being natural, so it’s important to keep your oral hygiene up to avoid a receding gemlike that may expose the veneer.

Limit Staining- Porcelain is a material that resists stains, but the dental cement used to keep them in place unfortunately is not. Coffee, tobacco, wine and any other food and beverage that may stain your teeth will stain the cement over time. Eventually, if not properly cared for along the way, the cement will become discolored and look odd against your veneers – or even start to make your veneers look discolored by association.

If you have questions or concerns about best care practices, make an appointment today with Dr. Schnall at 212-247-7059 or visit our website at www.philipschnalldmd.com.

Dr. Philip Schnall proudly serves Central Park West and all surrounding areas.

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Fixing Your Smile vs. Keeping Your Smile Healthy | New York Dentist

We all think that if we want something fixed inside our mouth, we go to a dentist. But that isn’t always the case. The dental profession is broken up into many different segments, each having their own specialty inside your mouth. We all want a fantastic smile, but how you want your smile to look will define which dental specialty you will likely focus on – aesthetic or cosmetic.

There is a difference between cosmetic procedures and aesthetic procedures, and this is why – cosmetic dentistry will improve the look of your teeth, one of the bits that creates your smile (i.e., whitening or veneers). Aesthetic dentistry, on the other hand, deals more with your smile and the way it looks on your face. Think of cosmetic dentistry like playing college ball, aesthetic like going pro.

Another big difference between cosmetic and aesthetic dentistry is the end goal. Aesthetic dentistry uses techniques available to modern medicine to give you a more natural, healthy look. Aesthetic dentists use techniques like regular cleanings, root canal removal, and the restoration of teeth with fillings or bridges to make your teeth look normal and healthy. The goal is to give you healthy teeth that function properly so that you can look your best and eat and talk normally.

Cosmetic dentistry is a little different from aesthetic dentistry. Cosmetic dentistry uses more advanced and invasive methods to make your teeth look a little better than what is considered perfect. Cosmetic dentistry includes techniques like teeth whitening, braces, veneers and a wide variety of other techniques. The idea is to give you bright, white, straight teeth that are picture perfect.

If you have questions or concerns about improving your smile, make an appointment today with Dr. Schnall at 212-247-7059 or visit our website at www.philipschnalldmd.com.

Dr. Philip Schnall proudly serves New York and all surrounding areas.

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Give Your Smile a Makeover with Porcelain Veneers | New York Dentist

When we have a flawed smile, it can lead to other issues. If teeth are missing or crooked, it can cause your other teeth to respond to these flaws by moving and/or shifting. In order to fix this, it’s time for a visit to the dentist for a smile makeover. One option to improve your smile? Porcelain veneers.

Porcelain veneers offer superior benefits over other cosmetic dentistry procedures, such as dental crowns or braces. The fingernail-thin shells, which are adhered to the front surface, solve a myriad of aesthetic problems with just one treatment. Here is a list of the top 10:

Natural looking. Porcelain is a translucent material that mimics the look, luster, and feel of enamel.

Whiten. When adhered to the front surface of your teeth, veneers you’re your teeth look instantly whiter.

Straighten. Veneers offer a great alternative for patients with crooked teeth who do not want to endure the process of having their teeth straightened with dental braces.

Fix. Veneers can fill in and improve the look of teeth that are chipped or broken.

Fill in gaps. Veneers can be customized to repair smiles with unsightly gaps.

Youthful. A whiter, brighter, more lustrous smile can immediately you’re your face a more youthful appearance.

Conservative. Unlike other cosmetic procedures that require removing a large portion of healthy, natural teeth, veneers can be applied with little alteration.

Protection. Once applied, the veneers also serve to provide a protective shield to the front surface of teeth.

Stain-resistant. Porcelain is stain-resistant, which will make your smile stay brighter and whiter longer.

Gum friendly. Gum tissue is not irritated by porcelain.

If you have questions or concerns about porcelain veneers, make an appointment today with Dr. Philip Schnall at 212-247-7059 or visit our website at www.philipschnalldmd.com.

Dr. Schnall proudly serves New York and all surrounding areas.