Monthly Archives: September 2015

Porcelain Veneers

Which is cheaper Durathin or Lumineers?

I’m trying to decide between durathing and lumineers for my smile makeover. Can you give me some idea which is less expensive?

Casey M. – Kansas

Casey,

I want to try to re-direct your question. I’m assuming you’re after the best smile you can get.  The prices of porcelain veneers change more based on the skill of your cosmetic dentist than it does the type of veneer you get.

You can get some dentists that will place lumineers for $500 a piece. To be quite frank, these dentists aren’t worth their salt. You’ll end up with a disappointment smile. Some patients have come to me with horror stories about how their “new” smile was much worse than their original smile.

What you want to look for is a great cosmetic dentist, not the brand of porcelain veneers. Your best cosmetic dentists will be accredited (which is different from membership) with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). Find a great cosmetic dentist and they’ll get you the right porcelain veneers.

One thing you may want to be aware of, is very few artistic cosmetic dentists like Lumineers. The reason behind their distaste is the Lumineers company requires dentists to use a certain lab, the DenMat lab. It’s just not a very good lab. Cosmetic dentists know which labs do beautiful work and want the freedom to use them.

This blog is brought to you by Salem, MA Dentist Dr. Randall Burba.

Dentures

Are dentures really as bad as people say?

I’m losing my teeth…much earlier than I had ever planned. Though I doubt most people plan to lose their teeth.  I keep hearing that dentures are horrible, but I’m wondering if that is true or just an overexagerration by people who are disappointed they lost their teeth?

Belinda G. – San Diego, CA

Belinda,

There are people who use dentures and feel they work just fine for them.  Most of those patients have accepted the limitations that come with dentures and live an acceptable life with their dentures.

There are also patients who despise their dentures and vainly wish for their natural teeth on a daily basis. One of the reasons for that is no matter how well fitting your dentures are (and a good dentist can make them fit well) you will still lose a minimum of 50% chewing capacity. They will move and food will get under them.

If you’re willing to accept that, then you’ll do fine with dentures. My one concern is your age.  You mentioned that you were losing your teeth earlier than planned. That makes me think you are still young.  If that is the case, I hope your dentist has warned you about facial collapse.

Once your teeth are removed, your body begins to reabsorb the minerals in your jawbone, recognizing that it is no longer needed to support your teeth.  Eventually, there will not be enough jawbone left to even support your dentures.  You’ll need to be aware of that before settling on dentures.

Dental implants are an alternative to dentures that will preserve your jawbone, but they are quite a bit more expensive than dentures.

This blog is brought to you by Salem, MA Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Randall Burba