Lumineers ® / Consulting with your dentist about placing Lumineers ®.

Most people who have a familiarity with Lumineers ® porcelain veneers probably do so because of the advertisements they have seen. Advertisements can, however, produce an effect that allows a consumer to form unrealistic expectations about the product being advertised.

Since prospective dental patients typically see Lumineers ® veneers advertised as "no drilling, no shots" porcelain veneers, they understandably draw the conclusion that the use of this technique should be possible with them too. This may be true but any dentist can tell you there is quite a difference between what is technically possible as opposed to what is in the dental patient's best interest. But of course that's precisely the purpose of a consultation dental appointment.

Consulting with your dentist about placing Lumineers ® porcelain veneers.

When a dentist places porcelain veneers for their patient they have a number of goals in mind. They want to create an end result that provides a great cosmetic appearance. They want to create restorations that are in their patient's best interest, both in terms of function and being able to maintain proper oral health. They also want to provide their services in a manner that is as comfortable for their patient (physically and psychologically) as is possible.

The dentist must weigh each of these considerations, formulate possible treatment plans, and then convey to the patient the expected outcome of each possible approach, both strengths and weaknesses. Then the dentist and patient, together, must make a determination regarding which treatment approach seems to fit the patient's needs the best.

During the consultation appointment you will need to express your primary concerns to your dentist. If the "no drilling, no shots" aspect of Lumineers ® veneers is the only reason you are considering having porcelain veneers placed then you need to express this fact to your dentist. If they find that you are the perfect candidate for this Lumineers ® technique then great. If they find your situation is not so ideal, they will need to convey to you what compromises and potential problems might be associated with your case if this technique is utilized.

Initial conditions that a dentist looks for that favor the placement of Lumineers ® veneers using a "no drilling" technique.

The most ideal candidates for Lumineers ® veneers placed using a "no drilling" technique are typically those people whose teeth are already relatively straight in alignment and simply require a slight color or other cosmetic change. Additional factors that favor the use of a "no drilling" approach are teeth that are relatively small, lingually inclined (tip inward somewhat as opposed to being bucked), or have spaces between them. When these conditions are present even though the Lumineers ® veneers will add additional bulk to the teeth when they are placed the end result will be less likely to be grossly oversized or over contoured.

The Lumineers ® "no drilling" approach is not always the best choice.

Much of the criticism you'll see aimed at Lumineers ® porcelain veneers by dentists is directed at veneering results where a "no drilling" technique has been utilized in an inappropriate situation. As we mentioned previously, since Lumineers ® veneers can be placed using traditional porcelain veneer protocol, the criticisms we mention here aren't really aimed at Lumineer ® porcelain veneers themselves but at the technique that the dentist has chosen to use when placing them.

One concern that a dentist will have when Lumineers ® veneers are placed using a "no drilling" technique is that the veneered teeth will be over contoured and bulky. This type of scenario can occur when "no drill" Lumineer ® technique is used when the ideal initial conditions did not exist.

Think about this example. When an artificial fingernail is cemented into place it can provide a changed appearance for the nail on which it is cemented, but will it look precisely natural? If you took two adjacent fingers and placed an artificial nail on one of them could you tell which one had the artificial nail on it? Of course you could. Even if the outline shape of the nail on both fingers was the same the nail with the artificial covering would look comparatively thicker.

It's not terribly dissimilar with teeth. If you take a normal sized tooth and bond a Lumineers ® veneer onto it (without trimming the tooth first) the tooth will be larger in size, period. Now will this increase in size be noticeable or objectionable? Possibly, but not necessarily.

Different than with our before mentioned fingernail comparison, few people ever get a chance to scrutinize our teeth closely. Interpersonal distances are typically measured in feet, not inches. Additionally, when we look at a person's smile we typically expect to see uniformity. If all of the teeth that are readily visible when the person smiles have been veneered in the same fashion then absolutely the cosmetics of a "no drilling, no shots" Lumineers ® porcelain veneers case can be quite presentable.

Still, some dentists will always be critical of the results of "no drilling, no shots" Lumineers ® technique because to them, someone who inspects teeth on a daily basis, the (even minimal) over bulking that this type of protocol can produce seldom looks as natural to them as if a more traditional veneering methodology had been used.