If you have recently gone through the process of getting new porcelain veneers for your teeth, you may wonder if there is anything you can do to take care of them. If so, use the following tips to taking care of your veneers and your beautiful new smile.

Avoid Biting Your Fingernails

If you are a nail-biter, try to find a way to quit biting your fingernails. Especially if you have thicker nails, constantly using your front or side teeth to chew on them could wear down the porcelain and eventually crack it.

If you have tried to stop biting your nails in the past but failed, try applying a homemade cayenne pepper polish to them. Mix a quarter of a teaspoon of the pepper with a bottle of clear nail polish. After shaking vigorously, apply the polish to the tips of your nails. The spiciness should remind you to keep your fingers away from your mouth

Do Not Chew Ice 

After finishing an ice-cold drink, you may be in the habit of chewing the ice that remains. If so, you should get out of that habit. Chewing on hard ice or even hard candy could crack your new veneers, necessitating a visit to your dentist to have them repaired.

Instead of chewing on the ice, remind yourself to suck on them. You'll still get the refreshing cold water without being in danger of damaging your veneers.

Rinse Your Mouth After Drinking Certain Beverages

Since the porcelain from which your veneers are made tends to be porous, drinking certain beverages could stain them. Beverages that have staining properties include coffee, tea, and red fruit juice.

Although these could stain your veneers, there is no reason you should refrain from enjoying your morning cup of coffee or evening cup of tea. You just need to be vigilant about rinsing your mouth after drinking them to remove the liquids while they are still fresh and have not had a chance to stain the material.

For a deep-cleaning, refreshing rinse, mix together a quarter of a cup of cool water with a teaspoon of salt and four drops of peppermint oil. The salt and peppermint oil help to clean the surface, while the peppermint gives the rinse a pleasant flavor.

Avoid Using Your Teeth as Tools

Sometimes when you are unable to open a bottle of soda pop, you may use your teeth to get a tight grip on the top and twist it open. This habit of using your teeth as tools can be bad for anyone's teeth, but it can be even worse if you have porcelain veneers. 

If you use your mouth as a tool, the combination of the pressure and the twisting motion could not only crack the porcelain, but it could cause the entire veneer to fall off. Find other ways to remove a bottle cap from a container, including having someone else do it for you.

Protect Your Veneers During Physical Activities

If you enjoy participating in physical activities, especially contact sports, you should take measures to protect your veneers while you are playing. You do not want a stray ball to hit your mouth, potentially breaking one or more of your veneers.

Before you start playing your favorite game again, ask your dentist to fit you with a mouth guard. This guard can provide a cushion for the veneers and your teeth, keeping them safe from any impact that could occur.

Using the above self-care tips can help you keep your new veneers looking gorgeous for a long time. However, if you run into any problems or still have questions, you may want to contact your dentist to discuss your porcelain dental veneers in more detail, as well as have them address any concerns you may have.

To learn more about your options, contact resources like Michael G Landy DDS.