Lumineers versus Porcelain Veneers? - Dental Health Message Board

SusanGene · 08-17-2006, 01:32 PM

Has anyone else heard of Lumineers? They're advertising them on tv saying there are NO shots, NO pain, NO drilling and they're thin as a contact lens. They simply cover up a stained or crooked tooth (and fill in spaces) and supposedly last up to twenty years. For Years I've been led to believe that with veneers they barely take off Any natural tooth. NOW I'm being told that they drill almost 1/3 of your tooth off before placing a veneer, causing painful sensitivity. Makes me think I've been told a story

And those things cost $630 each where we live.
I think Lumineers START at $800 per tooth and only take 2 half hour visits.
What I'm wondering is: what if you have a porcelain crown over a tooth. Do they have to yank that off to put a lumineer on the tooth in order to match the color you've chosen?

Isobella · 08-17-2006, 06:18 PM

I don't know whether it's possible to put a lumineer over a crown, but please think carefully before getting lumineers and do some Internet research to find out the pros and cons. I've seen various posts on dental web sites where people have got lumineers but found they ended up with a bulkier look than they wanted. Lumineers may be very thin, but if no tooth structure is removed before they are applied then the result has to be a thicker tooth than before. Of course, often this doesn't matter and indeed can give lip support to older people, but even the smallest change in tooth size can change the appearance of your mouth quite dramatically. If the change is for the better, well and good ... if not, well ... !

Don't think I'm anti-lumineers - I'm not, just passing on what I've read. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

SusanGene · 08-18-2006, 10:43 AM

That is an excellent point. Now, since I'm older, my teeth are not big anymore. In fact, the ones on each side of my front teeth are Really small.
So I'm not really concerned about size; it's PRICE that's worrying me.
I'd be so happy to have really white teeth again; they do make you look younger. A friend of mine, 50, got huge bright white crowns that look too big and too white--like piano keys. Still, they do make her look a little younger. I don't know why. They had been smaller but real yellow from smoking so much. What does look weirder is that the teeth farther back are the originals and those are yellowish and much smaller. I guess she didn't think anyone would notice? Of course, I didn't say anything.

lola32 · 08-18-2006, 07:41 PM

If a dentist is removing 1/3 of tooth structure for veneers it would be unusual. Very little tooth is removed for veneers. And keep in mind that lumineers are very new to the market and how could they know the longevity of something unless they have had people wearing them for 20 years? I have been in the dental field quite some time and if it were my teeth I would go for veneers over something that seems like a quick fix and has very little research to back up their claims.

SusanGene · 08-19-2006, 11:11 AM

I totally agree that this is an entirely new solution that has not been used long enough. There is a risk involved, yes, but I do know that tooth sensitivity with veneers is Not anything new. All of a sudden, I find these horrible photos of teeth after "a small amount of tooth is removed" on the internet.
My daughter has a dentist who is like an artist. He simply does bonding and her teeth are so lovely. If I lived there I'd go to him. It lasts 7 years in many cases, is cheap, and no tooth is removed. But they're trying to get away from bonding and onto something involving big bucks. I'd really love to go to this guy. He has been in the same town practicing for over 22 years and is well respected. He was far nicer to me than any dentist I've ever been to in my life. He let me REMOVE MY OWN TEMPORARY CROWN. He simply left the room and went to his other patient for 15 minutes.
And he looks like a friggin movie star LOL