
Veneers and Lumineers®: What’s the Difference?
If you are self-conscious about the way your teeth look when you smile, you are not alone. Many people avoid smiling so they can hide a chipped or broken tooth, discolored teeth, or uneven spacing between their teeth.
There is no need to hide your smile, however. We can use veneers to change the look of your front teeth, giving you a bright, symmetrical smile.
Traditional veneers are usually made from porcelain, which is permanently attached to your teeth using a bonding process. Porcelain requires at least two office visits to complete the preparatory work on the structure of your teeth. We give our patients an injected anesthetic to keep you comfortable while we complete this work. When the teeth are ready, your dentist will take impressions of your teeth and send them to an outside laboratory where the veneers are made. You will receive temporary veneers while the lab makes your permanent ones. In your second office visit, we install the veneers and use special adhesives to seal them into place, and you walk out with a beautiful new smile.
Lumineers® is the brand name for one form of porcelain veneers. Your dentist will determine if you are a good candidate for this process instead of traditional porcelain. In your first consultation, your dentist takes impressions of your teeth to send to the Lumineers® lab in California, where the ultra-thin porcelain covers are made. When the veneers arrive, your dentist uses special adhesives to apply them to your teeth. This process usually does not require any anesthetic or temporary veneers, as your dentist will do much less prep work on your teeth to apply the Lumineers®.
Talk to your dentist about which method is best for you, and whether veneers are the best solution to improve and brighten your smile.