Posted by writeradmin
I have teeth that are crooked and discolored. I went to my dentist to ask about cosmetic options and he suggested something called Lumineers. I’ve been looking up some information on it and there are some good reviews, but there are also a lot of bad reviews and I mean a LOT. Is this my best option?
Pete
Dear Pete,
I’m glad you did some research before moving forward with your dentist’s suggestion. That action has protected you from becoming a cosmetic dentistry horror story. Lumineers are just a brand of porcelain veneers. While porcelain veneers are the go-to for excellent smile makeovers, the Lumineers brand is highly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
One of the problems you are facing is that cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty. That means any dentist can do the work regardless of the amount of post doctoral training they’ve had or not had. The fact that your dentist is suggesting Lumineers makes me think he is among those who has not had the necessary training to do it well. The many bad reviews are likely because of dentists who did not know what they were doing.
Lumineers are certainly not your only option. In your case, if you are only worried about the crooked and discolored teeth, then I would suggest that you have Invisalign done for the crooked teeth. At the same time, your dentist can provide you with teeth whitening gel that you can wear inside the aligners. This lets you straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time.
If there are other things about your smile that you’d like to change, then porcelain veneers are an option but I wouldn’t use Lumineers or your dentist for that. You would want a dentist with post-doctoral training in porcelain veneers.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. John Theriot.