Do You Know the Difference Between Lumineers® and Veneers?

The popularity of smile makeovers is soaring as more Americans than ever before realize the true value of having a beautiful, confident, healthy-looking smile. Your smile says a lot about you, helping you make your best impression at work, at school, in your social life, and in your social feeds, too.

Of course, perfect smiles almost never happen in nature — we all need a little help. And for many people, porcelain veneers and Lumineers® offer the help they’re looking for.

At Dr. Taylor’s Family Dental, Marvin Taylor, DDS, offers both options — porcelain veneers and Lumineers — to help patients at his Waterford, Michigan, practice get the beautiful results they desire. If you’re considering a smile makeover, here’s how to decide which option is better for achieving your goals.

Two treatments, multiple benefits

Veneers and Lumineers have a lot of similarities, including the issues they’re used to treat. Both veneers and Lumineers are used to cosmetically correct a variety of aesthetic issues, including:

• Deep discoloration and stains that can’t be whitened
• Gaps between teeth
• Crooked teeth
• Misshapen teeth
• Teeth that look “too small”
• Cracked or chipped teeth

Veneers and Lumineers are also both applied to the front surfaces of your teeth, typically the teeth that are visible when you smile. Both products also require a couple of visits to have them applied — one to evaluate and prepare your tooth and one to apply the final veneer or Lumineer once it arrives from the dental lab.

The care routine is also the same for porcelain veneers and Lumineers: Brush and floss regularly and see Dr. Taylor twice a year for checkups to make sure your restorations stay in good shape.

Now, for the differences

It’s true, porcelain veneers and Lumineers are similar in many ways. But they also have some key differences, mainly due to their relative thicknesses.

Tooth preparation

Veneers are thicker than Lumineers, and before a veneer is applied, Dr. Taylor needs to remove some of the tooth’s surface material in order to make room for the veneer. Unless the tooth is prepared, the surface of the veneer will be elevated above the neighboring teeth. Removing part of the tooth surface material allows the veneer surface to be level with the surfaces of the teeth on either side.

Lumineers are super thin, requiring minimal tooth preparation. Most of the natural tooth is preserved with a Lumineer, and that means that if you ever want to reverse the treatment, your Lumineers can be removed and your teeth will still be intact.

One more preparation-related difference: Because tooth preparation is minimal with Lumineers, you won’t need to be numbed first, and preparation is also faster. With veneers, Dr. Taylor typically numbs the tooth so you stay comfortable while he prepares the surface.

Light reflection and coverage

Some people prefer Lumineers because they feel the thinner material is more translucent, reflecting light more like a natural tooth. However, today’s porcelain veneers also offer superior light reflection for a natural-but-better result.

Because Lumineers are super thin, they don’t provide as much coverage as porcelain veneers. That means they might not be the best choice if you want to hide a tooth that’s badly discolored.

Your beautiful smile is waiting

Both Lumineers and porcelain veneers can transform your smile, and best of all, Dr. Taylor can help you decide which option is right for you, so you can enjoy your beautiful results. To learn more about veneers, Lumineers, and other smile makeover options, book an appointment at Dr. Taylor’s Family Dental online or over the phone today.