I recently got porcelain veneers for a smile makeover and can’t stop smiling. I want to take good care of them. I devised a homemade mouthwash and wanted to run the ingredients by you before I use it.

8 oz. filtered water
8 oz. peroxide (the kind you get in the store)
1 tsp. sea-salt

Is it safe for me to rinse my mouth with this every day?

Marilyn

Dear Marilyn,

I am glad that you love your new smile makeover. We’ve seen that patients who get a smile makeover grow in confidence and even end up getting unexpected benefits. I know one person whose confidence grew so much they received a promotion in just a few months. While it is wonderful that you want to take great care of your smile, there is one ingredient you have that concerns me. Hydrogen peroxide when used periodically can do wonderful things to clean up bacteria in your mouth. However, as a mouthwash, if you plan on using it daily, it can cause some problems. This is because it will kill both the good and bad bacteria. This will leave you at risk of developing an oral yeast infection. If you only use this once a week you should be fine, but I would not do it more than that.

If you ever decide to purchase over-the-counter mouthwash just be certain that it does not contain alcohol, which can weaken the bonding on your porcelain veneers.

Caring for Porcelain Veneers

Honestly, the most important thing you can do for your porcelain veneers is good basic oral hygiene. Brush your teeth twice a day and floss daily. As for toothpaste, you will want to avoid typical over-the-counter whitening toothpaste. These contain harsh abrasives that can leave micro-scratches in both your natural teeth and porcelain veneers. While it will scrub stains off, those etches actually make them more vulnerable to picking up stains. The only whitening toothpaste I recommend is Supersmile Toothpaste. It is specially formulated for cosmetic work and protects it instead of damaging it. If you do that and keep up with your dental appointments, you should be just fine.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.