by Les Scammell

Created on: December 15, 2010   Last Updated: December 17, 2010

When deciding whether to choose Lumineers or Veneers it is important to understand exactly what each are, how they are fitted, and what the long term pros and cons are. To begin with, both are veneers. A veneer is a thin covering over another surface. In dental terms, Lumineers and Porcelain or Composite Veneers do just that, they cover the surface of a tooth. Veneers are used to cover teeth that are discolored, cracked or chipped in situations where a crown may not be appropriate.

Porcelain veneers have been around for a long time and they have developed a good reputation with both dentists and patients. They do, however, require quite a lot of preparation before they can be applied. A dentist will need to reshape your tooth slightly before fitting the veneer to the tooth's surface. This reshaping is generally done using a local anesthetic to avoid any discomfort. Once the tooth has been reshaped, a mold is made of the reshaped tooth which is then sent away to a laboratory where the veneer is custom made for your tooth.

While waiting for your custom made veneer, the dentist will apply a temporary veneer to protect the tooth's surface. Once the veneer is ready, the temporary veneer is removed and the custom made veneer is glued to the tooth's surface. Porcelain has been the preferred material for many years now because of its strength, its ability to be shaded to a color best suited to the surrounding teeth, and because it is long lasting. Composite veneers may be an option but these are no longer popular with most dentists.

Lumineers are still veneers, however, they are extremely thin so they do not require the same level of preparation. In most cases, a Lumineer can be fitted in one session at the dentist without any tooth reshaping. Your tooth is thoroughly cleaned and the Lumineer glued to the tooth's surface. Lumineers can be placed over the top of other work such as crowns or bridgework, however, if you are showing a black line caused by metal used in creating a crown or bridge, a Lumineer will not hide that. One benefit to Lumineers is that, because there is no tooth reshaping, you will not require any anesthetic for the procedure.

In deciding which is best for you, a frank discussion with your dentist is in order. Lumineers, because they are so thin, will not hide any dark stains on your tooth. If you have dark stains, you will need to look at porcelain veneers. Other contraindications include Bruxism (grinding of teeth) and those with a very tight bite (very little gap between upper and lower teeth). Although a Lumineer is very thin, that extra layer may create problems causing them to crack or fall off altogether. Lumineers have been known to call Bruxism in some patients because of that added extra layer.

The down side to porcelain veneers is that they cannot be reversed. Once a tooth has been reshaped, that reshaping is permanent. However, porcelain veneers have a history of being long lasting and if problems do arise, they can be replaced. Most dentist still prefer to use porcelain veneers, however that is due primarily to their long history. Lumineers are a relatively new technology so they don't have a long history that can be used as a comparison.

Today's veneers (Lumineers included) are generally made using porcelain. This is a stain resistant material that is long wearing and natural looking. Porcelain mimics the tooth's natural enamel in that it reflects light giving your teeth that natural healthy glow. Lumineers can be far cheaper than porcelain veneers, and in some instances, are the best option. In other situations, a full porcelain veneer may be your best option. There is one guarantee if you make the right choice - you will have a great smile again.

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