Dental veneers are some of the most sought-after oral treatments. They’re effective in concealing chips, teeth discoloration, cracks, and many other dental flaws.
Since dental veneers help manage dental flaws, which may make you self-conscious of your smile, they’re supposed to increase your confidence. Here’s the snag; dental veneers also have a few shortcomings.
A good dentist will explain these to you, so you know what to expect and how to avoid the complications. For example, dental veneers wouldn’t be recommended for you if you grind or clench your teeth. This is because they’d easily crack, or get damaged and not last as long as you’d have wished.
Other than that, having dental veneers does not make your teeth tooth decay-resistant. Therefore, you can still get tooth decay after veneers. You will need to observe good oral hygiene to prevent this.
Do Veneers make your Breath Stink?
Dental veneers are not designed to make your breath smell bad. If you’ve decided to get dental veneers, though, it is important to acknowledge that there is some chance; the veneers may give you a bad smell.
Basically, you can prevent bad breath by observing good oral hygiene. In extreme cases, though, you may need to have your dental veneers replaced. Here are some of the reasons why your veneers may make your breath stink and what you can do about that foul smell.
- Gum Disease
Correctly fitted dental veneers do not shield you from gum disease. Ideally, after getting the veneers, your orthodontist will still want you to observe a good oral hygiene routine to prevent complications like gum disease.
If you have poor oral hygiene, the harmful oral bacteria may accumulate around your gums and cause infections. Other factors that may increase your risks of gum disease include health conditions like diabetes.
If you have gum disease, the foul smell may also come with symptoms like red and inflamed gums. Gum disease may also make your gums bleed or get tender when brushing your teeth.
Owing to the complications that may come with gum disease like tooth loss and receding gums, it is prudent that you get your gums examined if you notice any of these changes. Treatments will be necessary.
You may prevent future occurrences by regularly brushing and flossing. If you have diabetes, you will need to have your blood sugar put under control and get regular dental assessments.
- Poor Oral Hygiene
If you do not have any indicators of gum disease and your porcelain veneers were also properly fixed, but you have bad breath, chances are high your dental hygiene is slightly below standard. If you do not diligently clean your teeth, oral bacteria will quickly buildup both in and around the teeth.
Some of these oral bacteria are anaerobic bacteria. These types of bacteria breathe sulfur and not oxygen. Since they breathe sulfur, they also release quite a lot of bad-smelling sulfur compounds in the mouth.
This best explains why you may get a bad smell even with dental veneers. The solution for this is simple; be sure to clean your teeth properly. Here are two tips you can find helpful when it comes to cleaning your teeth;
- You should brush or floss after every meal since the smell builds up pretty quickly for some people. If you can’t achieve this, make sure that you brush at least twice each day.
- You may also try using interdental brushes to effectively clean even the hard-to-reach areas between your teeth where the oral bacteria may hide. If good oral hygiene does not help still, you could be dealing with a case of incorrectly fitted veneers.
- Incorrect Fitting
It is prudent that you find a knowledgeable orthodontist or reputed dental clinic for your veneers. If you get an incompetent provider, there are chances they will not fit your dental veneers correctly.
If your dental veneers are not fitted well, they may have small and unnecessary spaces left around the veneers. Harmful bacteria and food particles may accumulate in these spaces.
This will give the harmful oral bacteria a perfect environment to multiply and contribute to the development of oral issues like gum disease, tooth decay, and the foul smell even if you brush your teeth and floss as required. Spaces or ledges around your veneers also make cleaning your teeth a problem.
The harmful bacteria that accumulate in these areas may also make you develop cavities, among other complications. If you suspect that your dental veneers are not fitted correctly and have ledges that are most probably responsible for the foul smell, you will need to have them examined. Your dentist may recommend having those incorrectly fitted veneers removed and replaced.
- Tooth Decay
The dental veneers are designed to protect or conceal just the surface of your teeth. Therefore, there are still risks of developing teeth cavities even if you use the veneers.
If you have cavities, the harmful oral bacteria will use them to hide. If measures aren’t taken promptly to have them removed, they will dig into the center of your tooth; extend to the pulp and even the nerves.
If you have developed tooth decay, chances are pretty high; it has been caused by poor oral hygiene. The decay may also form under your veneers.
You can determine this by checking for common indicators of tooth decay under the veneers, like holes on the teeth enamel or discoloration. If you have suffered tooth decay even with the veneers, your orthodontist may recommend removing the veneers and replacing them with dental crowns. As a general rule, if you suspect that you could be having a decayed tooth, be sure to have them examined as soon as possible to have some chances of salvaging your veneers.
Poor Oral Hygiene or Incorrectly Fitted Veneers are not always the Cause of Bad Breath
If you still get bad breath despite having your dental veneers fitted properly and you maintain good oral hygiene, the bad breath could be caused by something more serious. Ideally, your dentist may recommend an appointment with another health specialist to have you assessed for potentially hidden health issues like intestinal obstruction.
In Closing
Do not let bad breath impact your self-esteem because there is always something you can do about that. If you wish to get veneers but you’re scared about the foul smell or already struggling with bad breath after getting veneers, we can help. Contact us now to book an assessment.
Dennis Tan Dental Surgery – Veneers | Teeth Whitening | Dental Crowns
11 Collyer Quay, #03-28, Singapore 049317
+65 6438 5622
https://dennistan.com.sg
