Lumineers are one tool a dentist can use to fix your smile.
Traditional dental veneers require the dentist to grind down and reshape the teeth before the veneers are cemented on. The key advantage of Lumineers, a proprietary brand of Cerinate porcelain manufactured by Den-Mat, is that they are thin enough that they can be placed without removing any of the existing tooth structure. Lumineers are not a perfect solution for everyone, however, because they are expensive, may cause gum problems if not properly applied, cannot correct deeply discolored teeth and need to be replaced if they chip or crack.
Cost
Lumineers will cost about the same as traditional porcelain veneers, which is about $800 to $2,000 per tooth, depending on the dentist. Even though the Lumineer itself is more expensive, the prep time required is lower, leading to the cost equivalence.
Because the tooth is not ground down before the Lumineers are placed, the tooth may appear thicker than the surrounding teeth. This means that you may need to have more teeth treated to get an aesthetically pleasing result than you would if you had a traditional veneer placed.
Potential Gum Problems
Because Lumineers sit on top of the teeth, they form a bulky edge that can irritate the gum line and aggravate periodontal disease. It's important that the dentist placing the Lumineers be experienced with them, and that edges be ground down where the tooth meets the gum. Lumineers should not be used by patients with existing gum disease.
May Not Work for Deeply Discolored Teeth
Because Lumineers are so thin, the underlying tooth color will affect the final appearance of the tooth because the Lumineers are not entirely opaque. Traditional veneers are thicker, so the lab technician can blend in more color to prevent stains on existing teeth from affecting the look of the tooth after the veneer is applied. If your teeth are deeply discolored, Lumineers may not be able to give you the pearly whites you are hoping for.
Must be Replaced If Cracked or Chipped
Traditional veneers can be ground down if chipped. Because Lumineers are as thin as a contact lens, chips and cracks cannot be repaired. You'll need to replace the Lumineer, and pay the $800 to $2,000 again, if you chip the veneer. The company maintains that chipping and cracking are not likely and that the Lumineers are designed to last for 20 years. Lumineers offers a limited lifetime warranty and will replace a veneer at no charge under certain circumstances.
