Monthly Archives: June 2013

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Lumineers for cosmetic work

I’m going to get my teeth fixed. I’ve been doing a lot of research and have decided to get Lumineers because I don’t want my teeth shaved all the way down. I live in Colorado and I’ve been looking into Dr. ________.  My cousin got her teeth done by you and she says you’re great. Do you know if he is great too. He’s not listed on the Lumineers site, so I wasn’t sure.

Carolyn- Denver, CO

Carolyn,

First I want to clear up some misconceptions. I can tell that you’ve seen a lot of the marketing for Lumineers. They often emphasize the fact that they are no-prep. They may have indicated that your teeth would need to be shaved down with other brands of porcelain veneers, but that is not accurate.

When your teeth are “shaved” for other brands, they only take about the depth of a fingernail off. You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference in appearance between a shaved and unshaven tooth.

In fact, often when Lumineers are put on without any tooth preparation they will make your smile look bulky and too long.

Also, the dentists that are listed on the Lumineers site are not any better or worse than another dentist. It just means they’ve passed a written exam by reading the lumineers material. What you want to look for is a dentist who is highly skilled in cosmetic dentistry both by understanding the technical issues and by having an artistic eye. The dentist you mentioned is not someone I’d consider an expert cosmetic dentist. He doesn’t seem to have the post-graduate training required to do a great job.

If you’re going to spend thousands of dollars on new smile, you want to make sure it will be  a smile you’ll be thrilled with. Your best option is to find someone who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. They will be among the top 1% of cosmetic dentists. If you can’t find one in your area, or you don’t like them, you could also look on the mynewsmile.com website. They recommend expert cosmetic dentists in each state.

This blog is brought to you by Boston Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Randall Burba.

Porcelain Veneers

Dry mouth from Vivaneers

I have a good dentist, whom I have always trusted. This is the first time I have had a problem with any of his work.  I wanted to re-do my smile, so I got six vivaneers on my top and bottom teeth. They are really bulky. Much bulkier than I ever expected. I’m really disappointed in appearance. Not only are they bulky, but the pointy teeth are now rounded. I think that looks weird. However, my biggest problem is now I have dry mouth. I don’t know why and neither does my dentist. He’s called the lab to see if they know, but I haven’t heard back.  I’m starting to lose faith in him, so I thought I’d check with you.  My sister lives in your area and she told me your office are cosmetic experts.

THanks for the help. Mark L.- Ohio

Mark,

I suspect this is the first time you’ve had cosmetic work done by this dentist. Someone can be excellent general dentists, but horrible cosmetic dentists. Vivaneers are a brand of porcelain veneers that are similar to Lumineers. Both are advertised as a no-prep technique, which make general dentists feel comfortable placing them. Unfortunately, when they are placed without any prep they tend to be bulky.

Regarding your dry mouth, first I must say that there is no way for me to give any definitive answer you would need to be examined. However, I can make some deductions. There is nothing in porcelain veneers and their applications that can react in a way that would cause dry mouth.

However, it is possible that because your veneers are so bulky you may be having trouble getting them closed all the way and are now breathing out of your mouth. This will cause dry mouth. It probably won’t get any better.

If that is the case, I would suggest that you get your porcelain veneers re-done. However, don’t go to this dentist. I’m sure he is an excellent general dentist and you would be wise to keep going to him for your general work. For your cosmetic work, you really need to see an expert cosmetic dentist. First, see if there is someone in your area who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). Note that I said accredited and not just a member. If there isn’t one without driving distance, then you can look on the mynewsmile.com website to see who they recommend within your driving area. Either group of dentists will serve you very well.

This blog is brought to you by Boston Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Randall Burba.