How to maintain your results after your smile makeover
A smile makeover is something that many people choose to undergo for a number of different reasons and can often deliver life changing results that have them looking and feeling happier and more confident than ever.
Smile makeovers are individually tailored to each patient and can involve one or a combination of different cosmetic dental treatments to achieve the desired results. After going through the process there are a number of things you can do in order to help prolong, maintain and take care of your new smile.
Oral Hygiene
Most cosmetic treatments won’t require any special cleaning, but it is important to follow a regular routine in order to maintain good oral health.
- Brush for at least 2 minutes, twice a day
- Floss once daily
- Use an electric toothbrush if you can
- Replace the heads every 8-12 weeks
- Brush or rinse with mouthwash in-between meals
- Use a non-abrasive fluoride toothpaste
Check Ups
Just because your teeth look and feel good doesn’t mean that you should skip going to the dentist. Problems can often lurk unnoticed for a long time before signs or symptoms appear and by then the damage can be serious.
- Visit your dentist for regular check-ups as often as recommended (typically every 6-12 months)
- If you have concerns or issues then book an appointment straight away
- See a hygienist for a proper professional clean every 6-12 months or so
Avoid Bad Habits
There are a number of bad habits that can seriously affect the results of your smile makeover and ruin the beautiful work that was done. These include;
Smoking – can stain and discolour teeth which means that new stains can form on whitened teeth and any crowns, veneers or composite can end up not matching the natural teeth and looking even worse than before.
Biting nails – this terrible habit isn’t only bad for your nails but constantly biting away at them can lead to damage, chips and weaking of prosthetics.
Chewing hard things – crunching ice, chewing on pen lids and using the teeth to open packets or bottles are all things that doing just once can seriously damage the cosmetic work and result in it needing to be redone.
Healthy Lifestyle
Living an overall healthy life is a positive thing for a number of reasons but it can also have huge benefits for your teeth. Consuming lots of sugar, alcohol, acidic foods and sodas can compromise oral health and lead to tooth decay, cavities, infections and gum disease which have a detrimental effect on the smile makeover.
Try to drink lots of water, reduce your sugar intake where possible and eat a balanced diet rich in calcium, complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables.
Tooth Protection
Teeth are extremely strong but they can become damaged and so it is important to do everything you can to protect them and prevent this from happening.
Sports
If you participate in contact sports then you should wear a properly fitted, customised sports mouthguard to help defend against damage, injury and trauma.
Grinding
It is common for people to grind their teeth at night which can harm the natural teeth as well as any dental restorations, crowns, bonding and veneers. Wearing a custom nightguard when you sleep can prevent this from happening and help to alleviate the other side effects of grinding such as headaches and jaw pain.