Lumineers®

Lumineers® are a particular brand of porcelain veneers. We don’t place Lumineers in our office, and let us explain why.

They have their positive points. They are a little stronger than other brands of porcelain, so they can be made thinner. Instead of the usual 0.5 millimeter of thickness, they can be made 0.3 millimeter thick.

Disadvantages of Lumineers

But Lumineers are promoted to be used with a no-preparation technique. With this technique, the underlying tooth isn’t prepared at all. The dentist simply takes an impression and sends that to the lab. This makes it very easy for the dentist. However, with this technique, you will end up with a little ridge where the veneer meets the tooth. This unevenness in the surface of the tooth will attract plaque and stain. Our dentists prefer to shave the tooth a little. If the tooth is shaved just the thickness of a few hairs, that junction between the veneer and the tooth can be made completely smooth and undetectable.

Second, with a no-preparation technique, the teeth need to be made a couple of millimeters longer, and they will also ending up being a little bulkier. This simply isn’t appropriate for most smile makeover cases.

Third, Lumineers have to be sent to the DenMat laboratory in California where they are made by DenMat’s own laboratory technicians. Our own Dr. Malone has a long-standing relationship with master ceramist Mike Bellerino, who does our smile makeovers. Dr. Malone believes it would sacrifice the artistry of his work to send it to a large, impersonal laboratory.

You may want to read Dr. Malone’s blog post about problems with Lumineers. And read the e-mail from Joy who was having her lip catch on her Lumineers while she was talking.