How Lumineers Enhance or Improve Your Smile

How Lumineers Enhance or Improve Your Smile

Your smile is one of the first things a person notices about you, and showing those pearly whites is a sign of friendliness.

Yet there may be many reasons why you are hiding your teeth. Crooked, stained and gapped teeth can all affect the aesthetics of your smile.

Fortunately, Lumineers can provide a non-invasive way to transform the appearance of your teeth so that you can smile with confidence.

What Are Lumineers?

Lumineers are made from high-quality porcelain that can be contoured to an ultra-thin shell that is placed on your teeth to correct cosmetic flaws.

Once Lumineers are shaped to fit your actual teeth, they are less than 0.3 millimeters thick, which is thinner than a contact lens. This allows for the most natural appearance possible out of all the types of veneers that are available.

Due to the durability of Lumineers, you can continue to eat, chew and talk with them as normal while expecting them to last for 20 years or more.

What Types of Problems Do They Correct?

The ideal candidate for Lumineers has healthy teeth that have cosmetic flaws that affect their appearance.

Lumineers are perfect for covering chipped or crooked teeth, gaps and surface stains that resist whitening procedures. Teeth that have become worn from chewing and grinding are also perfectly restored with Lumineers.

How Do They Differ From Traditional Veneers?

Traditional veneers can achieve many of the same effects; however, they tend to be thicker and less resilient to wear.

Most importantly, traditional veneers require some removal of the top layer of the teeth. Once this enamel is removed, it cannot grow back so traditional veneers must be approached with the understanding that they are permanent.

Lumineers are thinner and usually require no enamel removal, which makes it less invasive for patients. In fact, most will require no anesthesia and post-recovery discomfort is minimal.

Is the Procedure Reversible?

In most cases, Lumineers are reversible because it is not necessary to reduce the tooth structure for placement. However, most patients are so happy with their new smile that they keep their Lumineers for a lifetime.

How Are They Applied?

Once you have decided that Lumineers are right for you, the application process will consist of two appointments.

1. During your first appointment, you and Dr. Shumway will decide which teeth need Lumineers to improve their appearance and what shade of white will best fit your features.

2. Next, you will have a mold taken of your teeth that will be sent to a laboratory. During the time between your appointments, you will not require any temporary replacements as you would with traditional veneers because no part of your teeth needs to be removed.

3. After your Lumineers come back from the lab, they will be placed on your teeth using special cement, with no drilling or shots. You can expect the placement appointment to last for approximately one hour, depending upon how many teeth you are having restored.

Similar to natural teeth, you will still need to maintain your oral hygiene routine. Brush and floss daily, and remember to visit us every six months for a routine check up.

If you are interested in Lumineers give our office a call. We offer a 12 month interest-free payment plan for your convenience.