Lumineers are a brand of porcelain veneers, known for being extremely strong and extremely thin. Thanks in part to “extreme makeover” type shows, more and more people are becoming aware of what Lumineers and other similar products can do to give them an amazing smile.
Typical porcelain veneers are about .5mm thick, while ultra-thin veneers like Lumineers are about .3mm thick.
In Dr. Perry’s office, we can do Lumineers, and will be happy to do them for you if you would like. But we do prefer another brand of razor-thin porcelain veneers called Arrowheads that we feel provide a more beautiful result than Lumineers. Arrowhead veneers are less bulky than Lumineers, with a lower percentage of reported breakages.
Typical Procedure for Lumineers and Ultra-Thin Veneers
Lumineers, Arrowheads and other brands of ultra-thin veneers can sometimes be placed without any tooth prep. Most veneers require that a very small amount of the tooth surface is shaved away so that the veneers do not look or feel too bulky. Ultra-thin brands of veneers can be placed without prepping the teeth, which actually only offers minimal advantages to the patient and the dentist.
Dr. Perry will determine whether a no-prep technique will yield a beautiful result for you, and proceed accordingly. If necessary, he will prep your teeth by removing between .3mm and .5mm–about the thickness of a fingernail–from the front of the teeth that will be getting veneers. Dr. Perry will then take an impression of your teeth, which will be sent to the dental laboratory along with very precise specification created by Dr. Perry. The lab manufactures the veneers using the specs and impression
It is critical that you take exceptional care of your teeth and gums while you are waiting for the veneers. If your gums are puffy and irritated, Dr. Perry may not be able to place the veneers until the situation has resolved.
When the veneers are back from the lab, we’ll set up another appointment for a “try-in”, which is where we actually put the veneers temporarily in place to see if you like them. In some cases, depending on scheduling and the results of the try-in, Dr. Perry may go ahead and bond the veneers in at this appointment, too. Otherwise, we will schedule a third appointment where the Lumineers or other brand of veneers will be put in place permanently.
A word of caution: if at any point during this process you don’t like what you are seeing. please speak up right away. We want your smile to be exactly right. If you do not like the way the veneers look or feel at the try-in, you must say something at that time, and we will happily work with you until they are right. Once the veneers are bonded into place, it is much more difficult and expensive to try and make changes to them.