Chicago Dentist

Artificial – although they look realistic, porcelain veneers are artificial teeth, which may be a problem for those desiring a more natural solution to their dental problem.

High Cost – Veneers, especially porcelain veneers, are expensive. Each veneer can range anywhere from $500 to $1000. When that gets multiplied with the number of teeth that needs veneering, it becomes a costly investment.

Fragility – Although porcelain veneers are relatively tough, they are not impervious to any chipping/breaking when exposed to excessive impact or force, e.g. teeth grinding, eating hard foods, etc. Repairing or replacing veneers then becomes an expensive endeavor.

Permanent Procedure – when its done, there’s no going back.

Side effects: Teeth Sensitivity – Since the veneering procedure requires the removal of enamel, your tooth may become more sensitive to hot and cold foods and beverages.

You may not be candidate – If you have unhealthy teeth (for example, those with decay or active periodontal disease), weakened teeth (as a result of decay, fracture, large dental fillings), have an inadequate amount of existing enamel on the tooth surface, or suffer from bruxism (teeth clenching).

Overall, most people find that the advantages porcelain veneers can bring, outweigh the disadvantages. Porcelain veneers are an easy way to attain a perfect smile and a friendlier appearance. The resultant natural-looking, well-aligned, whiter, more evenly-spaced teeth provide for that much sought-after cosmetically perfect smile. That is the reason why veneers are so popular among professionals, actors and actresses and other public performers.

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Realistic Appearance – One of the features of porcelain veneers that is contributing to their rising popularity is their optic properties. Porcelain is a ceramic that has many similar properties to the teeth’s natural covering, enamel. Because of this, porcelain veneers appears very natural and realistic.
Stain-Resistant – Porcelain is a ceramic, and therefore quite ”glass-like”, its surface is extremely smooth and impervious. This makes porcelain veneers quite resistant to permanent stains. No need to worry about the coffee, wine, or cigarette stains.
Durability – Porcelain veneers are relatively long lasting – up to 15 years – compared to plastic (composite) veneers (~7 years).
Color Versatility – The color of a porcelain veneer can be selected such that it makes dark teeth appear whiter.
Ease of Shaping – Compared to crowns, porcelain veneers do not require extensive shaping prior to the procedure.
Improves Appearance & Restores Confidence – Porcelain veneers can help individuals with dental flaws such as teeth that are crooked, discolored, or have small gaps between them. Veneers dramatically change a person’s smile and in the process, help improve their self-confidence.

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Lumineers generally cost a little less than other porcelain veneers. Lumineers is a brand name of the Den-Mat Corporation.  Essentially, they are a tough porcelain that can be made very thin.  Their main marketing appeal is that, since they are so thin, the teeth don’t have to be “ground down” any, and they can be placed directly over unprepared teeth without being too bulky. Since the procedure for doing Lumineers is simpler than the procedure for doing traditional porcelain veneers, their cost may be about 3/4 of the cost of porcelain veneers, though that cost will vary from dentist to dentist. However, a couple of warnings are in order. If the teeth are not prepared any before placing the porcelain veneers, the cosmetic dentist has much less latitude in creating a beautiful smile design.  Great cosmetic dentists, being very passionate about the beauty of the work they create, will resist this, and may refuse to place Lumineers in a situation where they feel that they will not end up looking good.

Lumineers veneers are simply one brand of porcelain veneer. Lumineers veneers are fabricated using the patented ceramic Cerinate and can only be produced in a Cerinate Smile Design Studio. The main characteristic that sets Lumineers veneers apart from other types of porcelain veneers is that they can be made so their thickness is ultra-thin. In their advertising Den-Mat Corporation states that Lumineers veneers can be crafted so they are as thin as a contact lense. In more precise terms, Lumineers veneers can be fabricated so they are as little as .2 to .3 millimeters in thickness. As a basis of comparison, the minimal thickness of a traditional porcelain veneer is typically on the order of .5 millimeters (almost twice as thick).

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Question:I’ve seen these ads for Lumineers on TV. What is the cost of Lumineers?

Answer:

Lumineers generally cost a little less than other porcelain veneers.

Lumineers is a brand name of the Den-Mat Corporation. Essentially, they are a tough porcelain that can be made very thin. Their main marketing appeal is that, since they are so thin, the teeth don’t have to be “ground down” any, and they can be placed directly over unprepared teeth without being too bulky.

Since the procedure for doing Lumineers is simpler than the procedure for doing traditional porcelain veneers, their cost may be about 3/4 of the cost of porcelain veneers, though that cost will vary from dentist to dentist.

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“Lumineers”. Lumineers is a porcelain veneer which creates a beautiful smile without compromising the structure of your teeth. “I am very excited about this technique, as I believe it improves the quality of a person’s life while being safe and painless,” explains Dr. McCarty.

Lumineers are porcelain veneers that fit on the surface of your existing teeth. They are constructed out of extraordinarily strong, contact-lens thin porcelain, and are a painless cosmetic solution to permanently stained, chipped, discolored, misaligned, or spaced teeth, transforming them into a naturally white, radiant smile.

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People used to stay away from the dentist unless they needed remedial work or were screaming with pain. Today, they are just as likely to visit a dental surgery for a dazzling new smile as a mercury filling. Our obsession with physical perfection, driven by the cult of celebrity and TV makeover programmes, has nurtured a cosmetic dentistry market that is already worth £519 million and is likely to double in the next five years, according to business analysts Mintel. The latest innovations include digital cameras that measure cavities, pain-free injections, drill-less dentistry and veneers no thicker than a contact lens.
LUMINEERS
What?
Ultra-thin porcelain veneers that are bonded to the front of your own teeth.
Why?
They are no thicker than a contact lens, so very little of the tooth structure needs to be removed before they are fitted, unlike conventional veneers, when teeth may need to be shaved down first. Martin Fallowfield, a spokeman for the British Dental Association and a specialist in cosmetic dentistry, says their thinness means that Lumineers may not mask any staining unless the dentist uses an opaque cement. “That can prevent refracted light going into the tooth and give a very white and less natural-looking smile.”

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As cosmetic dentistry becomes better known, more people have been discovering the many virtues of porcelain veneers. If you have a busy lifestyle that doesn’t give you big chunks of time to spend in a dental chair, they will have extra appeal. In this one procedure you can correct an array of dental defects:

• Discoloration that won’t brighten up with a tooth whitening procedure

• Small gaps between teeth

• Slightly mis-matched tooth sizes

• Small chips and shallow cracks in the enamel

• Slight crookedness or misalignment

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Lumineers are porcelain veneers that fit on the surface of your existing teeth. They are constructed out of extraordinarily strong, contact-lens thin porcelain, and are a painless cosmetic solution to permanently stained, chipped, discolored, misaligned, or spaced teeth, transforming them into a naturally white, radiant smile.

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