The first question to be answered is what are Lumineers?
Lumineers are veneers which are just 0.2 m in thickness, and this means they are incredibly translucent which replicates the effect of natural tooth enamel, something that is difficult to do with ordinary veneers.
Their thinness means that little or no natural tooth needs to be removed, but this thin structure doesn’t affect strength. With the proper care and regular visits to Houston cosmetic dentists, they can last for up to 20 years. Lumineers are a very non-invasive way of getting a beautiful white smile through having your teeth veneered, and in many ways can be considered a preferable solution to traditional veneers due to the lack of damage to natural teeth. This is the real beauty of these veneers, as the fact that they do little or no damage to natural teeth means that the wearer can choose to revert to their natural teeth at a later date if they wish, whereas that option isn’t open to anyone who has natural tooth structure removed to fit veneers.
Traditional veneers require your Houston cosmetic dentist to first numb you up and then drill your teeth so that a sufficient amount of material is removed to get a good aesthetic result. Ordinary veneers require at least 0.5 mm of tooth material to be removed, as if they are just placed over the top of natural teeth they are likely to create a bulky and unnatural effect which both looks and feels unpleasant.
There is also the problem of wearing temporary veneers for a couple of weeks until the permanent veneers are constructed, and a feeling of increased sensitivity and possible pain until the prepared teeth settle down. Your dentist is also likely to explain to you that once natural tooth structure is removed, your teeth will always have to be veneered which can prove costly in the long run. Ordinary veneers will generally last for about 10 years before they need renewing. This is because as they age they become more susceptible to chipping and fracturing, and may also begin to leak, and if not replaced may allow in bacteria that cause decay.
Every time your veneers have to be replaced there is the chance that your dentist will need to grind away a little more natural tooth, and this could mean that you will eventually need crowns which cover the entire remaining tooth structure. Choosing Lumineers over ordinary veneers could be a better decision all-round, as not only will you preserve tooth structure, but you may save money in the long run as Lumineers should last a lot longer.
