Cosmetic Dentistry : Benefits And Uses Of Dental Lumineers
If you have a dental imperfection, there are a lot of cosmetic procedures that could help transform your smile with a bright and natural look. Dentists can bond composite fillings or porcelain chips on your damaged tooth to cover imperfections on the back or front of your teeth and restore your dental functionality and aesthetics.
Many dental patients are aware of veneers and how they can be used for cosmetic restoration of damaged or misaligned teeth, but aren't aware of what lumineers are and how they differ from veneers.
What are lumineers?
Lumineers are typically thinner versions of veneers. Veneers are thin, tooth-colored porcelain shells that are used to mask a wide array of imperfections on the front of teeth.
Lumineers are better versions of veneers, as they are digitally designed to be ultra-slim, making them them less conspicuous than their counterpart, and to perfectly fit over the damaged tooth, offering a more natural look. Additionally, the particularly thin nature of these appliances allows them to be bonded to a damaged tooth without any aggressive and irreversible removal of healthy tooth structure.
Veneers, however, are a lot thicker, and thus require some of your tooth enamel to be scrapped off to create room for them. The removal of enamel often causes pain and sensitivity, not to mention that the extensive preparation work takes up several weeks, necessitating acrylic temporaries to be bonded to the tooth between sessions, before the veneers can finally be attached permanent. Lumineers eliminate the need for any of those meticulous procedures, and can thus be bonded to the botched tooth within as shorter period.
Are lumineers for you?
These modern versions of veneers are comfortable to wear, resemble tooth enamel and retain their gloss for longer than other alternatives such as composite resins, making them ideal for solving a variety of dental problems.
Tooth discoloration is a common problem that can damage your bright smile. Tooth whitening may involve the use of abrasive bleaches, and may not eliminate all the staining or last for long. Lumineers resemble tooth enamel and reflect light, making them ideal for masking discolorations on your front teeth.
Lumineers may also be ideal for individuals with slightly misaligned front teeth but who want to avoid the hassle of braces. Dentists can also use lumineers to restore broken, worn down or chipped teeth, as well as to cover gaps between teeth.
For more information, talk to a professional dentist, like Richard M Holmes DMD PA, to discuss if lumineers are the right options for your smile.