Lumineers are popular all across the country, but they are just one of several brands of no-prep veneers. Dr. Tostado is a cosmetic dentist with extensive experience in placing veneers and he’s found that this particular brand has some significant drawbacks.
The Advantages of Lumineers
Lumineers are the most well-known brand of no-prep veneers. “No-prep” refers to veneers that don’t require teeth to be prepared or ground down to fit the restorations.
Traditional veneers are about 0.5 millimeters thick and would make your teeth feel huge if they were placed right over your enamel. That’s why your teeth have to be prepared by removing a thin layer of enamel before you get veneers.
On the other hand, Lumineers are only 0.3 millimeters thick, which is about the thickness of a contact lens. This allows them to fit over your teeth without any drilling. They’re also notably strong and durable.
The Disadvantages of Lumineers
Just because Lumineers are thin and strong doesn’t automatically make them the best kind of dental veneers.
Remember that the whole point of getting veneers is to make your teeth look better. But many cosmetic dentists agree that Lumineers fail on that account in comparison with other brands of no-prep veneers. They tend to make teeth look too round or too big and the color is chalky and opaque, not subtly translucent the way natural tooth enamel is.
The company that produces Lumineers requires the restorations to be made in their own large and impersonal lab located in California. Cosmetic dentists who take their work seriously generally prefer to work with other brands of no-prep veneers that allow them to work with master ceramists they trust.
Alternative No-Prep Porcelain Dental Veneers by Dr. Tostado
Maybe you’d prefer to enhance your teeth with a no-prep kind of veneer rather than the traditional type. But given the fact that Lumineers don’t deliver the best results, Dr. Tostado will use an alternative brand. Most importantly, he can give your no-prep veneers that personal touch they need to make them uniquely yours. We have an on-site dental lab that he uses here at 5 Star Dental Group.
Call our office or fill out the Request an Appointment form if you’re ready for a porcelain veneers consultation with Dr. Tostado.