Can you give me some advice? I have been saving up for porcelain veneers. I’d asked my dentist what he charges ahead of time, so I knew what I needed to reach. However, when I finally got in he said he wanted to do the Lumineers on both top and bottom arches. I had not counted on that and it will cost me double. That will take me much longer to save up for. To say I’m disappointed would be an understatement. I’m writing to see if that is absolutely necessary. I’m mostly worried about what my teeth look like when I smile. My bottom teeth don’t show then. Is it ever okay just to do the top arch?
Kristina
Dear Kristina,
I’m very glad you wrote before going through with this. I think I can save you some real grief. First, unless there is something significantly wrong with your bottom arch, there is no reason to place porcelain veneers on them. Traditionally, we suggest you have teeth whitening done before your porcelain veneers are placed. This allows your bottom arch to match the color with your top arch after the veneers are placed, giving some uniformity. It is cost-prohibitive to do both arches.
A word about Lumineers. I am a little concerned about your dentist’s plan to place Lumineers, especially because he was trying to do the bottom arch. Many dentists with real expertise in cosmetic work do not like the Lumineers brand. The company that manufactures them, insists dentists use their lab. Unfortunately, this lab tends to be inconsistent in their results.
Another issue is the Lumineers brand is highly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists. This is because they are an ultra-thin veneer and they are told this makes them no-prep. The problem with that is most smiles will still need some tooth preparation to keep the teeth from looking too bulky.
When it comes to a smile makeover, you really need an expert cosmetic dentist. Believe it or not, doing smile makeovers is not taught in dental school. A dentist has to take post-doctoral training in order to develop the skills they need. One thing I’m going to suggest is you look at their smile galleries. Be sure to ask if it is work they’ve actually done or just stock photos.
When you look at the cases they’ve done in the smile gallery, you should absolutely love the results. If you are not blown away by what you see, move on to another dentist.
This blog is brought to you by San Antonio Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Imam. We offer a digital smile design.