You’ve finished your smile transformation and are delighted with the end results- now it’s just a matter of how to keep it that way!
The end of restorative or cosmetic dental treatment is so exciting, but it is worth considering that continual maintenance is necessary in the long-term to keep your smile looking and feeling healthy.
Aside from maintaining a great oral hygiene routine and keeping on top of regular dental visits, your dentist may also recommend some additional aftercare instructions for certain types of treatments.
Here is our handy guide to maintaining your smile following cosmetic or restorative dental treatment.
Teeth Whitening Treatment
Professional teeth whitening, such as our at-home teeth whitening course, provides long-term results as long as the correct maintenance is carried out.
Teeth whitening will not prevent general everyday stains (such as tea and coffee stains) from building up, so regular scale and polish appointments are still required at whatever frequency recommended by your hygienist (e.g. 3, 4, or 6 months) so that dietary staining can be regularly removed, ensuring the teeth still appear at their brighter shade post-whitening.
Regular top-ups are also required to keep the teeth at their new shade; once the initial course of teeth whitening is complete (usually over 2-3 weeks depending on the dentist’s recommendation), you will need to do a maintenance top-up one night per month in order to reinforce the whitening treatment regularly. These top-up syringes are available to buy at our practice for those patients who have completed their initial course of whitening with us here.
Composite/Edge Bonding
While composite is an extremely durable material, it is still subject to wear just like our natural teeth.
Following composite/edge bonding, it is best to avoid very hard foods where possible as biting down with excessive force can cause composite to chip or separate from the tooth surface.
Staining also occurs on composite material just like it would on the tooth’s natural surface, so limiting staining foods (red wine, coffee, curry, etc.) will help to maintain the bonding’s shade, as well as regular hygienist cleanings.
The rule “don’t use your teeth as tools” applies to your natural dentition, but is especially true for bonding! – do not use your teeth for tasks such as opening packaging, etc. and avoid habits such as nail-biting or pen-chewing, which can chip and wear away composite material over time.
If you suffer from bruxism/grinding, your dentist will likely recommend having a nightguard made following composite bonding treatment, which is worn at nighttime to ensure the bonding is not worn away or chipped as a result of nocturnal teeth grinding.
While composite bonding can last years with proper maintenance, it is not completely permanent and just like our natural dentition, it will be subject to wear and tear over time. Regular dental visits are essential to maintain composite bonding, and additional polishing, adjustment, and extra composite may be required in future to maintain the initial results.
Dental Crowns, Bridgework & Dental Implants
Porcelain/ceramic crowns provide strength and durability, restoring a fractured or weakened tooth back to their original functionality and feel. While they are a durable, long-lasting treatment option, they still need to be maintained and are subject to the same wear and tear as any natural tooth.
While porcelain is generally quite stain-resistant, it does still pick up surface stains, so avoiding high-staining foods is ideal.
Crowns/bridges are permanently cemented onto the existing tooth structure; however it is still best to avoid very hard or sticky foods (e.g. hard toffees) to minimise the risk of dislodgment.
While flossing is of course an essential step in all oral care routines, it is especially important around crowns, implants, and bridgework to ensure no food-trapping is occurring around the area. Specific floss is available (e.g. Oral B Superfloss) for these types of restorations, containing different thicknesses of floss in one to ensure thorough removal of plaque.
As with all restorative dental work, regular dental examinations are essential in maintaining treatment long-term especially with more complex treatments such as dental implants, which can require more frequent monitoring.
Rest assured our clinical team will always provide you with detailed instructions on aftercare for your chosen treatment, and our patient care team are on-hand for any questions or advice.
Just give us a call on 091 757 678 or email info@renmoredental.ie and we will be happy to help!