After any dental procedure, wondering what to eat with temporary veneers and what to avoid is normal. Temporary veneers are veneers that are not bonded to your natural teeth and can easily break or fall out. If you have temporary veneers while waiting for permanent ones or you have snap-on veneers you should prefer soft foods and avoid at all cost sticky and hard foods.
Being careful and thoughtful will protect your veneers and guarantee they last a good amount of time.
In this article, we will talk about in detail what to eat with temporary veneers and which kinds of food you should avoid.
Temporary veneers during the permanent veneer process
While getting permanent porcelain of any material and type, you will need to go through a process involving the removal of your natural tooth enamel. After the removal of your tooth enamel, you will receive temporary crowns bonded to your teeth with temporary cement.
Depending on the lab and your dentist, you may wear your temporary veneers for 1 to 4 weeks. This is quite a significant amount of time you need to spend with your temporary veneers. So it is important to familiarize yourself with the types of food and drinks you can consume and make your food choices accordingly.
Foods to avoid when wearing temporary veneers
Because the bonding material used in this process is temporary cement, there is a higher risk of displacement. Therefore, it would be wise to stay clear of the foods like:
- Hard candy
- Biscuits, chips, and/or crackers
- Chocolate bars
- Raw fruits
- Crunchy bread or hard toast
- Ice cubes
- Tough meat
- Sticky foods
- Hard-skinned fruit
- Stain-causing drinks like cola, tea, black coffee, red wine, etc.
- Tomato sauce
- Curries
- Soy sauce
- Turmeric
- Hot food
Try and avoid biting down on hard foods, do not chew on ice cubes, and eat tough meats and chewy candy. You can cut your meals into small pieces to decrease the amount of pressure you need to apply while chewing them with your temporary dental veneers.
If you cannot resist your favorite foods, it’s best to take some precautions and steps to minimize the damage they can cause to your veneers and teeth. For example, If you want to consume drinks like coffee and red wine which could stain your veneers, you might want to have a sip of plain water after drinking them to decrease the level of staining on your teeth. You can also use straws with acidic or soft drinks to decrease their negative effect on your teeth.
Although these might seem a lot to watch out for, remember the temporary veneers are just that: temporary. When you get your permanent veneers, you will be able to consume most of your favorite foods again with much less concern. Because your permanent veneers are made from high-grade porcelain, they are more stain-resistant. Also, ceramic porcelain is a very strong material, which means it is much more durable and resistant to breakage. However, this does not mean you should stop being careful when you get your permanent veneers. To be able to keep your veneers in the best shape possible, you should always avoid biting down on hard foods and consuming foods that could stain like tobacco products.
Safe Food Choices for Temporary Veneers
While avoiding the foods above, it is recommended you consume soft foods and food and drinks that do not stain. Some examples of these could be:
- Soft bread
- Soft fruits like bananas
- Pasta
- Noodles
- Eggs
- Mashed potatoes
- Yogurt
- Oatmeal
- Soups
- Soft meats like chicken or fish
Any soft food you don’t have to chew or bite hardly is fine. Think of it as a toothing kid. You’re the toothing kid and the temporary veneers are your aching teeth. You may also want to consume drinks and food not too hot and not too cold. Be really mindful of that. It’s just a temporary sacrifice before you get your perfect smile!
What to eat with snap-on veneers
The removable ‘snap-on’ veneers are another type of veneer that is non-permanent. However, unlike the temporary veneers mentioned above, these do not require any previous procedure to be done. You can simply snap them onto your teeth in the morning and take them off at night. That’s why what to eat after snap-on veneers also changes a bit.
Food options for snap-on veneers
Because you can remove the snap-on veneers any time you like, you could take them off before meals and eat anything you want. However, if you do not want to remove them, many snap-on veneers allow for light to moderate biting and chewing. Therefore, the list of foods you can eat while you are wearing them is very similar to the ones you can with other temporary veneers above. These also include:
- Soft bread
- Bananas
- Pasta
- Eggs
- Mashed potatoes
- Soft canned foods
- Chicken
Foods to avoid with snap-on veneers
Because the snap-on veneers are not bonded to your teeth with a bonding agent, they can displace quite easily. Therefore, you should be very careful not to eat certain foods if you choose not to remove them while you eat. Some foods to watch out for could be:
- Tough bread
- Crunchy foods
- Chewy meats
- Sticky candies like toffee
- Gum
- Foods that can stain the snap on veneers like deep-colored berries (blueberries, blackberries), other dark fruits and vegetables, and pigmented drinks like coffee, wine, and soft drinks.
- Cigarette smoking
It is important to pay attention to your oral hygiene, especially when you use snap-on veneers, as there is a space between your natural teeth and the veneers. Make sure to clean your veneers and keep up with your daily dental care to avoid plaque buildup.
Temporary veneers-friendly recipe ideas
Well, we can say that the kinds of food you can eat with both temporary veneers and snap-on veneers are pretty similar. Once you get used to the feel of your temporary veneers, it will be instinctual for you to choose what to eat with temporary veneers and which foods to avoid. However, it can still be hard for you to decide what to cook. Let’s give you some quick and easy recipe ideas:
- Creamy mashed potatoes: Boil peeled and chopped potatoes in water until cooked, then mash with butter and milk until creamy and smooth.
- Scrambled Eggs: Pour milk and eggs into a bowl and give them a mix. Preferably in a nonstick frying pan, cook the ingredients until fully scrambled. Then you can add salt and pepper to your preference.
- Smoothies: Put your favorite fruits, yogurt and milk in a blender. Put these ingredients in a blender. It’s that easy! Now you have a delicious and nutritious drink that you can easily sip with the help of a straw.
- Soft chicken tacos: Cook ground chicken in a skillet with taco seasoning. It can be served on soft bread with grated cheese, lettuce, and salsa. Of course, you can always be creative and add other ingredients. Just be sure that they won’t harm your temporary veneers.
