Lumineers

Lumineers offer a way to easily provide you with a more beautiful smile, helping you greet the world with confidence. Lumineers transform your smile, correcting flaws to allow you to show off a bright, beautiful grin.

What are Lumineers?

Lumineers are the next step in veneer technology. Veneers have been around for a while, but Lumineers offer an innovative twist to veneer technology. They consist of ultrathin porcelain coverings that adhere to the front of your natural teeth. They are made from a special porcelain called Cerinate and are designed to be strong and lightweight. They are incredibly thin, meaning your dentist can adhere them directly to your teeth without having to remove any of the natural tooth enamel.

Why might I want Lumineers?

Lumineers can correct a host of issues to provide you with a brighter, more beautiful smile. Some of the things Lumineers can help with include:

• Improving the appearance of crooked teeth
• Correcting small gaps or other spacing issues
• Changing the shape of teeth
• Correcting the appearance of discolored teeth
• Altering the appearance of uneven or worn teeth
• Improving chipped or cracked teeth

What are the differences between Lumineers and regular veneers?

While both Lumineers and veneers are used to treat the same issues, there are some differences between the two options. The first is that Lumineers are designed to be as thin as possible – in fact, veneers are almost double the thickness of Lumineers. To accommodate that, your dentist will have to shave off some of the enamel of your natural tooth to allow for a proper fit of the veneer. This means your tooth or teeth will always need a covering or it will be susceptible to sensitivity and decay due to the lost enamel. Because your teeth don’t need to be altered to allow for Lumineers, they are considered to be reversible so they can be removed if you decide to. Lumineers look and feel as natural as possible.

Are Lumineers durable?

This is a common question because Lumineers are designed to be so thin. But that doesn’t take away from their durability. With proper care, your Lumineers can last up to 20 years – that’s almost twice as long as traditional veneers.

How are Lumineers placed?

Our cosmetic dental experts place your Lumineers over the course of two relatively short visits. At your first visit, we’ll establish your smile goals and take impressions, photos and X-rays, as needed so that we have everything we need to create your custom Lumineers. Because we don’t need to prep your teeth to receive the Lumineers, this visit is quick and painless.

At your second visit, we will prepare your teeth to have the Lumineers placed. This involves minor etching to ensure a strong bond. Then, we place the Lumineers and bond them in place. We’ll do a quick bite check to ensure everything looks right and you feel comfortable. This appointment should take around an hour, and then you’ll be ready to show off your new smile.

Call our cosmetic dentistry experts at our Westmont and Villa Park locations today to learn more about how Lumineers can help you transform your smile.