Veneers vs lumineers? Many patients come to the point that they should choose one way or the other in their dental treatment. Since they seem very similar to cosmetic dentistry treatments, the questions like “which one is better, veneers vs. lumineers? Or “which one is right for my teeth?” arise.
In this post, you will learn a lot about these popular cosmetic dentistry treatments. In addition, similarities and differences will be highlighted to help you make a wiser choice if you ever consider getting veneers or lumineers.
What Are Veneers?
A veneer is made of composite resin material, ceramic, or porcelain to restore cosmetic defects, especially on the front teeth. The application requires removing a thin layer of tooth enamel. Then veneers are placed and glued to the tooth surface using resin cement.
What Are Lumineers?
Lumineers are made of porcelain, and they are as thin as contact lenses. They are used to hide flaws and protect the teeth from further damage. Since they are ultra-thin prosthetic products, a seamless placement is highly possible. In addition, lumineers require little to no preparation work on the tooth surface.
Veneers vs. Lumineers: Similarities
The idea of lumineers and veneers is the same. They are both used to hide cosmetic problems on the tooth surface, and also they improve the color, size, and shape of the tooth. Also, both lumineers and veneers are made of porcelain. There are veneers made of composite and ceramic, though.
Reversibility is another issue to be discussed here. Although it is usually argued that lumineers are reversible but veneers, it is not the case. It is impossible to keep using your natural teeth as they are after removing either veneers or lumineers. Whether you have lumineers or veneers, you are supposed to get new veneers or lumineers afterwards.
Veneers vs. lumineers: Differences
As the gist of this post is to help you choose the better option for your case, knowing the differences between lumineers and veneers is highly important. Understanding the differences in detail, you can make your mind clear about the right treatment for you. For this reason, here we have listed the differences and explained them briefly.
Thickness
Veneers are usually thicker than lumineers. Traditionally veneers are 0.5 mm thick, while the thickness of the lumineers is only around 0.2 mm. However, when the final look is considered, which one will look thicker depends partially on the dentist’s hand skill and preparation on your tooth surface. As long as the teeth are prepared in accordance with the thickness of the veneer and lumineer, they can look the same. This difference brings certain divergences in the application and efficacy of the two treatments, which we will point out later in this post.
Preparation
The application of traditional veneers can be a more invasive process depending on the severity of the case. Though pretty minimal in most cases, the dentist shaves and reshapes the tooth surface under local anesthesia. Lumineers, on the other hand, require little or no preparation. If there is no preparation, local anesthesia may not be necessary. In both cases, patient does not feel any pain.
Durability
Both veneers and lumineers are made of strong materials, and they can last up to 20 years if taken care of properly. However, veneers can be slightly more durable due to their thicker size.
What Is The Cost Difference Between Veneers And Lumineers?
The cost of veneers and lumineers is usually given per tooth, and the prices are almost the same for veneers and lumineers. However, there are many factors that you should take into account before having either of these treatments. Notably, you should keep in mind that most insurance plans don’t cover veneers or lumineers as they are cosmetic dentistry treatments. In addition, the materials used, the location you receive the treatment, or other treatments you receive might factor in pricing.
Veneers vs. lumineers: Pros And Cons
Both veneers and lumineers are effective ways of getting a beautiful smile. Though teeth whitening is a popular and practical way to beautify your smile, cracks or other more serious damages can’t be corrected through teeth whitening. Also, veneers and lumineers provide the patients with permanently white and well-shaped teeth. Nevertheless, you should bear in mind that both veneers and lumineers can make it harder for you to reach the gum line when you brush your teeth. This might pose a risk of gum diseases if you ignore taking care of details while brushing your teeth.
When veneers and lumineers are compared, you should bear in mind that each treatment comes with certain pros and cons.
Veneers are distinctive with higher effectiveness in hiding the discoloration and cracks as they are thicker. This thickness also potentially brings a long time of durability. You should also bear in mind that thickness is highly related with the professionality of the dentist. Artistic talent and the experience help doctors to stretch their limits and apply very thin (2-3 mm) veneers nowadays. On the other hand, veneers have certain drawbacks, as well. Application of veneers requires preparation on your tooth, and you are given temporary veneers until your custom-made permanent ones are ready. It means more invasion, more time needed for visits, and sometimes higher costs.
Lumineers are reputable for being less or not invasive, which needs no shaving on your enamel. No preparation means less time required, but some patients think that no preparation would allow them to take the lumineers off anytime they wish and use their original teeth. Unfortunately, independent from the preparation amount, if you decide to take off the lumineers in the future, you need to get a new set of lumineers or veneers. Since lumineers are much thinner than veneers, they may not hide more serious cosmetic problems. Also, they are more prone to chipping unless brushed gently. Therefore, you should give more delicate maintenance to lumineers. Furthermore, not many cases are eligible for lumineers. Your lip and teeth positions and your end result desire are the key factors in eligibility for lumineers.
Lumineers or Porcelain Veneers: Which Is Right For You?
Having read until here, you might have already made your mind clear about veneers vs lumineers. However, in many cases, it is not upto the patient to choose due to the teeth condition and smile design requirements. Therefore, you should always see your dentist before making your final decision. Consulting with a dental professional, you can better understand the current condition of your teeth and evaluate the stock of all options on the table. Also, dental clinics can explain the details about pricing, payment, and insurance.
Conclusion
In this post, we have explained two popular dental treatments, veneers vs lumineers, and compared them. As a key takeaway, we can say that porcelain veneers offer straight and whiter teeth. The application procedure is relatively long due to the preparation, which involves grinding the enamel layer on the tooth surface. As for lumineers, direct application of them gives you quick results, yet they fail to hide severe stains or damages on the tooth surface.
