Cosmetic dentistry prices: How much do Lumineers ® porcelain veneers cost?

Having Lumineers ® porcelain veneers placed typically costs about the same as traditional porcelain veneers. Here's a very "ballpark" price estimate for this procedure.

$700.00 - $1100.00   per Lumineers ® veneer.

Prices for individual cases are typically quoted at a fixed cost per Lumineers ® veneer. This means that a case where six teeth are restored with Lumineers ® veneers will typically be six times the cost of placing a single one.

There can be a number of factors that can affect the precise cost of a Lumineers ® veneers case. It seems doubtful that any dentist would commit to a price quote until they had had an opportunity to examine the dental patient and evaluate their precise situation. Since in theory less procedure time is involved, it is conceivable that a "no drilling" Lumineers ® veneers case might cost less than a case where Lumineers ® veneers are placed using traditional porcelain veneer technique.

Why don't all dentists choose to utilize Lumineers ® porcelain veneers?

Not all dentists place Lumineers ® porcelain veneers. One of Den-Mat Corporation's websites states that more than 5000 dentists nationwide use Lumineers ® veneers in their practice (June, 2006). The American Dental Association estimates that there are just over 160,000 dentists in the USA (20% of which are dental specialists). This suggests that somewhere between 3 and 5% of the dentists who might incorporate Lumineers ® veneers into their practice choose to do so.

Of course the reasoning of those dentists who choose not to utilize Lumineers ® veneers will be personal, based on their individual philosophies, preferences, and experiences. Some dentists probably feel that Lumineers ® veneers do not provide the same lifelike appearance that other porcelain veneers can, especially in the case where Lumineers ® veneers are placed using a "no drilling" technique. Many dentists feel that thicker porcelain veneers offer a greater opportunity for incorporating characterization and shading qualities into the veneer itself. In cases where a large color change is required many dentists feel that thicker veneers can typically give a more translucent and lifelike appearance than thinner veneers that must be made relatively more opaque so provide the same masking effect.

Other reasons a dentist might choose not to place Lumineers ® veneers can be easier to understand. The dentist may have a relationship with a dental laboratory that they have cultivated over the years and they are pleased with the results that they can produce using that laboratory's veneers. If it's a local dental lab the dentist probably has an opportunity to communicate face to face with the dental technician making the veneers whereas with a Lumineers ® laboratory this would be unlikely since there are only a few Cerinate ® Design Studios in the country (the dental laboratories that make Lumineers ® veneers).

Your dentist may already be using another type of minimal thickness porcelain veneer. As an example, Glidewell Laboratories makes Vivaneers ® porcelain veneers. These veneers can be made to tolerances measuring as little as .3mm in thickness.

Lumineers ® veneers can be used to rejuvenate the cosmetic appearance of existing dental crowns and bridgework.

The makers of Lumineers ® porcelain veneers also market them as a way to extend the life of existing porcelain dental crowns and bridgework which are no longer cosmetically pleasing. The idea is that ultra-thin Lumineers ® veneers can be bonded onto the front surface of porcelain restorations thus providing them with a renewed cosmetic appearance.

Clearly only your dentist can make a determination about the appropriateness of this type of patchwork dentistry. Since the Lumineers ® veneer covering will only provide a cosmetic change, the dentist must examine the dental work in question and determine that it is otherwise intact and clinically satisfactory. No doubt the original contours of the dental restoration were considered by the dentist who placed it to be ideal. The dentist performing the Lumineers ® veneers patchwork must evaluate and determine if the added thickness of the Lumineers ® will result in a restoration that is grossly over contoured.

In regards to resurfacing individual dental crowns, one might question the prudence of a "placing a restoration on a restoration" approach when probably for about the same cost and same number of visits the dental crown could simply be replaced. The advantage of the latter approach being that the restoration would remain just a single item created in the controlled environment of a dental laboratory as opposed to being patchwork assembled in the mouth.

It certainly seems that there could be situations where the option of resurfacing just one or a few teeth that are members of an extensive dental bridge might offer a solution that could salvage the appearance of the bridge at just a portion of the cost of replacing it. If this approach is considered, one must be sure to weigh the cost of patching the bridge with Lumineers ® veneers (and your dentist's expectation about the longevity of this repair) in comparison to the cost of replacing the bridge outright (and the expected lifespan of this new bridge).

How long can Lumineers ® porcelain veneers last?

Even ultra-thin Lumineers ® veneers have an expected lifespan that is on par with traditional porcelain veneers. Several studies (Decker, 2006) have shown that the lifespan of a Lumineers ® veneer can easily exceed ten years. One study found a 94% success rate at 20 years.

Placing Lumineers ® veneers is reversible procedure.

In those cases where Lumineers ® porcelain veneers have been placed using a "no drilling" technique (meaning no tooth reduction has been performed) the process is a reversible one. Lumineers ® veneers can be removed and the teeth they had been cemented to restored to their original form. You must realize however that bond between the tooth enamel and a Lumineers ® veneer is very strong. In order to remove a veneer your dentist will need to grind it off using a dental drill. Depending on the specific circumstances, a dental patient might appreciate or even require dental anesthetic when this grinding process is performed.

The general concept that placing "no drilling" Lumineers ® veneers is a reversible procedure might be comforting but we would anticipate that anyone going to the trouble and expense (probably many thousands of dollars) of having a set of Lumineers ® veneers placed would only be doing so because they truly sought a change, as opposed to just experimenting with cosmetic options. We would think that anyone who had a set of Lumineers ® veneers removed would only do so related to some sort of failure (cosmetic or functional) associated with the results of their case (as opposed to wanting to return to their previous cosmetic appearance) and they would then most likely proceed with some other approach (traditional porcelain veneers or dental crowns) so to provide the results they were seeking in the first place.