Porcelain veneers are amazing for restoring your smile to what it once was or even surpassing the appearance of your previous smile. Like other dental restorations, veneers can be used in most of your favorite activities, including scuba diving. Porcelain veneers should not cause any issues. However, how you treat your mouth during your dive is important for ensuring that your porcelain veneers remain healthy. Tension and extreme force placed on teeth during a dive can result in cracks. Luckily, there are a few tips that you can use to prevent this.

Practice Wearing Your Mouthguard Before Diving

A mouthguard is worn during a dive in order to make it easy for you to use your regulator. If you are an inexperienced diver, it can be difficult to ascertain the amount of pressure that is necessary in order to get the best grip on the mouthguard. Out of fear, many divers resort to clenching the mouthguard. This action is similar to teeth grinding. If repeated each time that you dive, it can result in damage to your teeth and may cause restorations to loosen overtime. In order to prevent this, you need to be more comfortable with your mouthguard before you use it inside of the water. Practice wearing your mouthguard throughout the day and periodically check to see if your grip is too strong. If it is too strong, relax your grip and continue wearing it.

Avoid Readjusting the Mouthguard During the Dive

Mouthguards are often readjusted during a dive if they do not fit well. They may either be too small or too large. In many cases, the mouth guard is readjusted using your front teeth. This ends up pulling against your veneers and pulls them from the foundation. This is an easy way to develop small cracks and chips in your veneers. While the adhesive that holds your veneers down is extremely strong, it does loosen overtime. The constant act of readjusting your mouthpiece can end up speeding up this process. Instead, take the time to find a mouthpiece that you do not have to readjust every few minutes. The scuba diving shop usually provides an array of mouthpieces that you can take the time to try on before your dive.

A cracked porcelain veneer does not go away once the dive is over. Instead it can get worse. Use these tips to ensure you do not have to deal with any cracks. For more information about protecting your porcelain fixed bridges or veneers, contact a dentist.