Lumineers vs. Veneers: What Are the Differences Between the Two?

Veneers are a treatment option used by cosmetic dentistry to cover discolored or broken teeth to ensure they appear glossy and white. Traditional veneers are made of porcelain requiring significant preparation to get your teeth ready for the application.

Another type of veneer called lumineers is a brand offered by some dentists manufactured by the DenMat laboratory. This variety is thinner, affordable, and faster to apply. However, choosing the right type of veneer is not as simple as you believe.

This article reviews the differences between the traditional porcelain veneers and other options like lumineers, better known as no-prep veneers, to ensure you understand the pros and cons of both.

Facts about Veneers and Lumineers

Making your teeth appear whiter and straighter the job of porcelain veneers. They are bonded to your teeth permanently, and the preparation process besides the application is significantly lengthy.

Lumineers need less preparation before they are applied to your teeth. They are also reversible but not as durable as veneers. They are not an effective solution for hiding severely stained or damaged teeth.

Everything You Want to Know About Veneers

Veneers are what you may think are perfect teeth looking glossy, white, and bright. Veneers are unlike the teeth enamel, which is porous and therefore are resistant to staining. However, the edges of surfaces where it meets the tooth are prone to staining after five years or more.

Veneers are appropriate solutions if your teeth appear yellow or brown or show signs of decay or staining challenging to cover up. Broken or chipped teeth, unusually shaped teeth, or smaller than regular teeth are hidden by veneers.

The Preparation and Application Process

Veneers are placed in a multistep process customized to the treatment you need. After a consultation with your Alexandria, VA dentist, they will grind down the surface of your front teeth to make space for the veneers. To ensure the bodies fit appropriately in your mouth, the tooth surface needs to be made thinner. You receive temporary acrylic veneers after your dentist makes a mold of your prepared teeth. Veneers require approximately two to four weeks for fabrication and are sent back to your dentist.

The initial appointment may require several hours, depending on how many teeth you want to be treated. After the dental laboratory returns the veneers, your dentist cements them to your prepared teeth using a unique bonding solution.

Veneers are a permanent solution for your teeth that leave your tooth enamel compromised. These placements can make it challenging for you to reach your gum line when cleaning your teeth, making you susceptible to gum disease.

Traditional veneers last for around eight to ten years, but their lifespan can extend to 20 years with proper dental hygiene. The cost of conventional masks is approximately $ 950-$ 2500 per tooth. Insurance companies don’t cover surfaces, but you may be offered a discounted price if you get veneers on multiple teeth.

Explaining Lumineers

Dental Lumineers are a brand of veneers requiring less preparation or advanced dental work than traditional surfaces. They are made from thin laminate instead of porcelain and are often called no-prep bodies.

Dental lumineers are suitable to treat discolored and unusually shaped teeth. They are smooth and slick to touch. Lumineers are transparent than porcelain veneers. It is why they are a better solution if you have severely discolored teeth.

If you decide to have lumineers on your teeth, you will still need to schedule two appointments with your dentist after the initial consultation. As the dentist doesn’t need to prepare your teeth, your first appointment will be shorter. Dentists merely need to take an impression of your teeth and send it to the DenMat laboratory. Your customized lumineers are available for placement in approximately two to four weeks. As your teeth aren’t trimmed down, you don’t need temporary veneers while you wait for your customized lumineers. You can set up a second appointment with your dentist after the lumineers are ready for placement on your teeth.

Lumineers are not permanent like porcelain veneers and a removable after application with minimal damage to your teeth. Lumineers also make it challenging for you to clean around your comment, increasing gum disease risks. Lumineers cost around $ 800-$ 2000 per tooth and last for approximately 10 to 20 years.

The Pros and Cons of Dental Veneers

Traditional Veneers

• Traditional veneers are longer-lasting, opaque, and better at concealing tooth decay and discoloration.
• Traditional veneers are permanent but require replacements if you manage to damage or crack them. They are also significantly expensive.

Dental Lumineers

• Lumineers require no preparation or trimming of the natural tooth and are not significantly expensive. The application is semipermanent because they are removable without damaging your teeth.
• Lumineers do not have traditional veneers’ durability and are not a perfect solution for hiding damage to your teeth.

If you are conscious about your smile, you may want to try other options like braces, aligners, or teeth whitening to enhance your teeth’ appearance. However, suppose you intend to have veneers on your teeth. In that case, you must initially discuss with your dentist as they can advise you on the best course of action for treating the imperfections in your mouth after considering your budget.