Veneers are thin shells made of porcelain or composite resin that are custom-made to fit over the front surfaces of teeth. Getting veneers is a cosmetic procedure that can improve the color, shape, size, and overall appearance of teeth. Pop on veneers are a type of temporary veneer that clip or “pop” on over the existing teeth. They provide a preview of how porcelain veneers might look before getting the permanent ones made. With pop on veneers, you can essentially test drive your smile before committing to the final veneers.
Both porcelain and pop on veneers are fragile. Hard or crunchy foods can potentially damage or dislodge them. Steak in particular is dense, chewy, and fibrous. Eating it takes a lot of force that places stress on teeth and dental work. So can you eat steak with pop on veneers in place? There are a few factors to consider.
Chewing forces and veneer materials
The main concern with eating steak with veneers is the sheer chewing force involved. Studies show that biting force in the back molars can reach up to 200 pounds per square inch. The front incisors that veneers are placed on exert closer to 80-120 pounds per square inch of force. This force is concentrated on a relatively small surface area as the teeth cut and tear food.
Pop on veneers are made to be temporary and removable. They are most often made from thinner, weaker materials than permanent porcelain veneers. Resins, acrylics, and thermoplastics are commonly used. These materials are prone to cracking, chipping, and breaking under high biting forces. Permanent porcelain veneers are thicker and made from stronger glass-like ceramic material. But porcelain is still brittle and vulnerable to fractures from heavy loading.
So with either type of veneer material, the high chewing pressures used to bite through and chew up steak raise the risk of damage. The temporary nature and weaker materials of pop on veneers make them especially susceptible.
Steak texture and composition
The texture and composition of steak also play a role in the potential for damage. Steak is composed of dense, fibrous muscle tissue with areas of tough connective tissue and fat marbling through it. It requires thorough chewing to break these tissues down into smaller pieces that can be safely swallowed.
The act of chewing steak places strong vertical and horizontal forces on the teeth as they chop and grind. Steak can also get caught in the slight gaps between veneers and natural teeth. Its fibrous strands then tug on the veneers with shearing and pulling motions. These combined forces place considerable mechanical stress on veneers and their vulnerable bonding to the underlying teeth.
Harder connective tissue parts of steak may act like a localized point force. The hard particles are forcefully driven into the relatively softer dental materials as you bite down. This concentrates the stress and increases risk of cracks, chips, and fractures forming and propagating through the veneers. It only takes a tiny defect formed under the high pressures of chewing steak to eventually expand into catastrophic failure of the restoration.
Veneer bonding strength
The strength and durability of the bond between the veneers and the prepared teeth is also an important factor. Weakly bonded veneers are at higher risk of becoming damaged or dislodged when subjected to the strong biting forces involved in chewing steak.
Permanent porcelain veneers are adhered to teeth using dental bonding agents like resin cement. When properly bonded, these cements create a tight, high-strength connection. However, any microscopic gaps or weaknesses at the bond interface can allow the veneers to flex, twist, and lever under pressure. This quickly magnifies the stresses on the thin veneer material itself.
Pop on veneers have even greater risk of debonding while eating steak. They clip over teeth using light retention form the plastic material interacting with the underlying tooth. There is no cement holding them firmly in place. The friction fit and clip design is enough for light function but not the intense pressures of chewing steak.
Good bonding is also dependent on the amount of natural tooth that has been reduced to make room for the veneer thickness. Insufficient reduction leads to bulky veneers that are weakly supported and more prone to debonding failure. Poor bonding strength greatly raises the chance of damage when subjected to concentrated loads like chewing steak.
Risks of veneer damage from eating steak
Here are some of the specific risks and types of damage that can occur to veneers from the forces involved in eating steak:
– Fracture – Steak can generate cracks and complete fractures in veneers. Brittle porcelain and weaker temporary materials are prone to cracking when overloaded. These cracks rapidly weaken the veneers and can lead to pieces chipping off.
– Chipping – Chips and chunks of the veneer material breaking off is one of the most common damage modes. Steak introduces high point loads onto surface defects and poorly bonded areas that initiate localized chipping often along the thin veneer edges.
– Partial dislodgement – Weakly bonded veneers are at risk of partially lifting off or shifting position when chewing steak. The functional loads can overwhelm the light friction fit of pop on veneers. With permanent veneers, small debonding at weak areas of the bond interface may occur.
– Complete debonding – A worst case scenario is the forces of chewing steak causing the total debonding and detachment of the veneer from the prepared tooth. This is most likely with pop on veneers but also possible in poorly bonded permanent veneers.
– Tooth fracture – Natural teeth broken under the chewing load is rare but possible in cases of extremely weakened tooth structure under the veneer. The tooth cannot withstand forces transferred through a fractured veneer.
– Damage to other teeth – If pieces of a fractured veneer become lodged in the bite, they can damage opposing teeth as the jaws close and chew. Chipped or debonded sections may also impact other teeth abnormally.
– Pain – Damage and fracturing of the veneer exposes rough inner surfaces and damaged tooth layers. Thermal sensitivity and pain from hot or cold foods often results, even becoming severe in cases of pulpal exposure.
– Aesthetic issues – Any fracture, chipping, cracking, or debonding of the veneer mars the intended aesthetic improvements to tooth color, shape, alignment, and smile. This visual defeat often motivates patients to pursue replacement.
– Functional problems – Improper chewing, speech impairment, changes in the bite relationship, and problems with specific tooth movements necessary for eating may occur after veneer damage.
– Infection risk – Fractured veneers with exposed inner surfaces create pockets where plaque and bacteria can accumulate, raising chances of decay and periodontal inflammation.
Clearly there are many potential risks to both the veneers themselves and the teeth they are bonded to when chewing something as hard and chewy as steak. Preventing damage requires avoiding or at least limiting foods like steak.
Precautions for eating with veneers
If you choose to eat steak with veneers in place, there are some precautions you can take to lower risks:
– Cut steak into very small, bite-sized pieces before chewing. This reduces the amount of force needed during biting and chewing.
– Chew steak very slowly and deliberately with your back teeth. Avoid biting or tearing motions with your front veneered teeth.
– Swallow steak pieces before they are fully chewed to mush. Minimize total chewing time and repetitions.
– Avoid any hard bone fragments, fatty gristle, or tough connective tissue. Only eat the softer, easier to chew portions.
– Consider marinating steak in an acid tenderizer or pounding it to partially break down the fibers before cooking. This reduces chew resistance.
– Cook steak to no more than medium doneness. The rarer it is, the tougher and more resistant to chewing. Well-done steak is easier on veneers.
– Cut steak across the grain into thinner strips. This shortens the muscle fibers and requires less shearing force while chewing.
– Take small bites and chew bilaterally using both sides to share the load. Don’t favor one side.
– Stay well-hydrated while eating. Drink water frequently to lubricate and soften the food.
– Avoid hard, crunchy steak accompaniments like crusty bread, thick toast, or crispy fries.
But even with precautions, steak is high risk for veneer damage. The best approach is avoidance or very cautious moderation. Consider lower risk meat options like ground meats, tender poultry, seafood, or plant proteins while you have temporary or permanent veneers in place.
Long term diet and habits with veneers
Getting veneers is a significant investment in your smile’s appearance and your dental health. While pop on veneers are lower cost and temporary, permanent veneers involve irreversible tooth reduction for optimal fit and bonding strength. With proper oral hygiene and preventive care, they can last for decades.
To get the most longevity out of veneers, some permanent changes in eating habits are advisable:
– Consume fewer chewy, crunchy, hard textured foods. Prioritize softer cooked foods that are easier to bite and chew.
– Cut hard, tough foods into small pieces before eating. Avoid large chunks or whole hard items like apples, carrots, nuts, ice, etc.
– Shift away from raw crunchy vegetables and fruits. Cook or steam them soft before eating.
– Choose ground, minced, or well cooked cuts of meat. Avoid large chunks or heavily grilled meats.
– Cut down on sticky candies, chocolates, caramels, and chewy granola bars or dried fruits. Opt for melted chocolate or softer sweets.
– Skip hard crunchy snack foods like chips, pretzels, nuts, seeds, and popcorn. Go for softer crackers, cookies, or puffed snacks.
– Limit chewing gum, jawbreakers, hard candies, ice cubes, and other very chewy foods that overwork your jaws.
– Avoid using your front veneered teeth for biting, tearing, ripping, and other concentrated force habits. Don’t eat corn on the cob, tear open packages, bite threads, etc.
– Brush carefully with a soft brush and avoid abrasive whitening toothpastes. See your dentist for cleaning instead of using picks.
– Wear a nightguard if you clench or grind your teeth to protect from concentrated loads during parafunction.
With some mindfulness and modifications to your eating habits, you can safely enjoy the smile advantages of veneers for many years. Avoiding excessively hard, chewy foods like steak helps prevent damage.
Conclusion
Steak is a high-risk food for those with porcelain or pop on veneers in place. The dense texture and tough muscle fibers require forceful, lengthy chewing that can overload and damage fragile veneer materials. Weaker temporary pop on veneers are at greater immediate risk of debonding or fracture from chewing steak. But permanent veneers are also vulnerable to chipping, cracking, or debonding from the concentrated stresses.
To minimize risks, steak should be avoided or eaten very cautiously in small pieces with the back teeth only. However, for optimal veneer longevity, it is ideal to minimize chewing of steak and other hard, chewy foods long-term through changes in dietary habits. With proper care and avoidance of damaging loading, veneers can be a functional and aesthetic smile enhancement for many years. But foods like steak do jeopardize this investment.
