If you have been thinking of a smile makeover you may come across terms like veneers and lumineers. And you may be left wondering what these are and how are they different from each other and more importantly which one is best for me?
So here we are trying to answer that question by doing a comparison between veneers and lumineers. For that one must first understand why one may need a veneer or a lumineer.
Reasons one may need a veneer or lumineers
Normally a dentist may advise a veneer or a lumineer for any of the following reasons.
- Chipped tooth
- Broken or fractured teeth
- Gaps between teeth
- Discolored Teeth
- Eroded teeth due to grinding or other bad habits
- Irregularly shaped or misaligned teeth
So now you have a choice to make and obviously one wants to not only compare these two but also understand what are there and what are their pros and cons. Let us start with veneers before we go on to the lumineers.
Veneers
Veneers are thin cosmetic shells that cover the front surface of the teeth. They are permanently bonded to the teeth and used to change the size, color and shape of the teeth with the primary objective of improving your smile.
Veneers can be made of a number of materials like ceramic, porcelain and composites. Porcelain is however the most commonly used material.
Making veneers takes multiple visits to the dentist. It involves not only consultation but the dentist needs to take an impression of the tooth to get the veneers made which can take time. Sometimes the dentist needs to prepare the teeth (reshape the tooth surface or trim some enamel) before the veneer can be bonded to the teeth. In the meantime you have to use temporary veneers.
Veneers like everything have their pros and cons. Here are some of the important ones to consider.
Pros
- They are permanent and provide a natural look to the teeth.
- Porcelain veneers are resistant to staining and one of the best options to use in case of broken or severely stained tooth.
- They are long lasting and with proper after care can last up to 20 years.
Cons
- They are permanent so once the process is done it cannot be undone.
- Veneers take 2 to 4 weeks in making so it is a long drawn out process.
- They can crack or chip and cannot be repaired but can only be replaced.
- Once veneers are put you cannot whiten your teeth.
Lumineers
Lumineers are also a type of veneers. They are known as no prep veneers as they your teeth don’t need to be prepared as much as needed in the conventional veneers. Unlike veneers which are made of porcelain they are made up of laminates which are super thin.
Getting lumineers can also take 2 to 4 weeks and a couple of visits to the dentist. However the overall process is shorter than in case of a veneer because in case of lumineers your teeth don’t need to be prepped. Also you don’t need to wear temporary lumineers till the custom made ones are prepared.
Let us now look at the pros and cons of lumineers.
Pros
- They are not permanent so they can be removed even after putting them without much damage to your teeth.
- They are also known to last up to 20 years.
- No preparation of teeth needed to fix the lumineers. They are the least minimally invasive procedure out of the two being considered.
- They may be less expensive than veneers.
- The whole process of getting lumineers is painless and fast.
Cons
- They are not suitable for badly damaged teeth.
- Because they are extremely thin they cannot hide the damage to the teeth very well.
- Aesthetically they don’t look as good as veneers.
There are some similarities in both, in both cases there is a likelihood of teeth becoming more sensitive and also because they are not easy to clean near the gums there is an increased risk of gum diseases. In both cases it is possible that insurance companies may not cover the costs of the treatment as both veneers and lumineers are considered as part of cosmetic treatments that are elective. They both change the way your teeth will look so one must contemplate thoroughly before choosing one of these options.
Also not all dental practitioners offer lumineers so that is something you must get checked before even considering them as an option for your smile makeover.
Both the procedures are very effective and give desired results so if you are conscious about how your teeth look and if they are affecting your self esteem and confidence you must restore your teeth and smile with either of these cosmetic procedures. An experience dentist can be one of the best persons to guide you in choosing what is best for your teeth and within your budget. If you are too old for braces but too young for dentures veneers and lumineers may be one of the best bet for you to improve your smile. Both have their pros and cons and hopefully this blog will help you get a fair idea about both the procedures.
However if you have more queries you can always call Ensure Dental Care (the family dentist near you) on 940-274-3229 for more information or to schedule an appointment. Ensure Dental Care is the one of the best family dental clinics at Saginaw Texas. We accept all major insurance providers. We also have in house payment plan. We have a very experienced team of dental practitioners and we look forward to serving you the best of our abilities. If you liked this blog share it with your family and friends. You can also follow us on Instagram for offers, deals and more fun stuff. Our Instagram handle is @ensuredentalcaresaginawtx. See you on Instagram soon.