Lumineers Archives - Dr. Duane Delaune's Blog

Should I Replace Dental Bonding with Veneers?

Posted on September 28, 2022 by AllSmiles.

After having bonding on four front teeth since 2001, my dentist wants to replace the Lumineers because he says it’s easier. I am not sure what makes veneers easier, though. The bonding is yellowing. It didn’t help that I whitened my teeth and home and made the bonding more noticeable. I know Lumineers are supposed to be no-prep, but I am worried about tooth enamel damage if my dentist decides I need a little preparation. Should I insist on bonding? Thank you. Tyrelle from Chicago

Tyrelle,

Thank you for your question.

Can You Remove Dental Bonding?

A dentist with advanced cosmetic dentistry training can remove and replace dental bonding. Dental bonding removal may include one or more of these techniques.

Flexible sandpaper discs to maintain tooth shape while removing the bonding
Carbide polishing drills and a sandpaper disc to remove any streaks left
Air-abrasion equipment for gentle removing

Replacing Dental Bonding with Lumineers

A single porcelain veneer - for info on Lumineers

A skilled cosmetic dentist can determine whether veneers or dental bonding is best for your front teeth

A dentist can replace your dental bonding with Lumineers, but it is your choice. If you do not need to conceal any significant imperfections in your teeth, your dentist should not try to convince you to get Lumineers. Your dentist may say that he prefers Lumineers due to his discomfort with dental bonding. Although Lumineers are famous for not requiring preparation, without preparation, your teeth may look bulky with veneers bonded to their fronts.

Placing dental bonding requires advanced training and an artistic eye. Dentists apply it by hand. Only skilled cosmetic dentists have the bonding materials and tools to match any patient’s teeth perfectly. If your dentist lacks advanced cosmetic dentistry training or is uncomfortable with dental bonding, we recommend getting a second opinion.

A skilled cosmetic dentist will examine your teeth, discuss your options, and explain the results you can expect with dental bonding vs. porcelain veneers.

Lumineers Gave Me a Lisp

Posted on July 31, 2022 by AllSmiles.

I wanted a real celebrity smile, so I chose Lumineers for their brightness and because they are no-prep veneers. I thought they were the best way to get a smile that would get noticed. I got them in May and am somewhat disappointed. My teeth don’t look as great as I thought they would because they are slightly thick, and I speak with a lisp. I have returned to the dentist, and she made some adjustments, but I still have a lisp. Someone in the dental office implied it might take a while to adjust to speaking with the veneers, but I thought they were supposed to function like natural teeth. If that’s the case, why am I having such a problem with my speech? Maybe I would be happier if I could just get braces and have my teeth whitened. Can I remove the veneers and return to my natural teeth? Thanks. Lenny from Phoenix

Lenny,

Thank you for your questions.

A skilled cosmetic dentist can examine your Lumineers to identify the cause of your speech problems

Dentists often place Lumineers without preparing your natural teeth. It takes a lot of skill to place Lumineers without them looking or feeling too bulky. If your dentist placed your veneers without tooth preparation, she might need to remove a small amount of enamel to help them fit properly.

If your dentist has already adjusted your Lumineers, she may have difficulty fitting them or bonding them properly. Depending on the cause of your lisp, the adjustment may be as simple as preparing your teeth. Sometimes, the lab may need to remake your Lumineers to ensure they fit correctly.

We recommend getting a second opinion from a cosmetic dentist with experience placing porcelain veneers. Trained cosmetic dentists have the skill to adjust the veneers or your natural teeth, so you get beautiful results. If your dentist cannot achieve the right look and feel with your veneers, it might be best to have someone else examine them.

Dr. Duane Delaune, a Metairie, Louisiana cosmetic dentist, sponsors this post.

Will No-Prep Veneers Work for My Teeth?

Posted on May 11, 2022 by AllSmiles.

I have seen and compared no-prep veneers before and after pictures on several dental websites. Sometimes they look good and other times they do not. I am concerned about how they will look on my teeth. I do not know whether it is a coincidence, but it seems that the pictures that look good are mostly of people who wanted to make their small teeth larger. Only a few dentists’ patient photos look good in every case. My tooth size is fine, but I would like veneers to correct the shape of three teeth and another tooth that slightly overlaps the tooth immediately to the left. Will no-prep veneers work for my case? Can anyone get no-prep veneers? – Thanks. D’Andre from TN

D’Andre,

Thank you for your question.

Although Dr. Delaune would need to examine your teeth to determine whether you are a candidate for no-prep veneers, we will answer your question in general.

Will No-Prep Veneers Work for Your Teeth?

Although many patients ask for no-prep veneers, it does not mean that they will look good on your teeth or improve your smile. Skilled cosmetic dentists are careful with patient cases when asked to place no-prep veneers. Most often, without preparation, teeth can look large and bulky. Advanced cosmetic dentists are upfront about how no-prep veneers will look on you.

What Are Minimal-Prep Veneers?

Minimal-prep veneers require a cosmetic dentist to reduce only 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm of tooth enamel. Removing a tiny amount of enamel allows your veneers to fit nicely over your tooth and around your gum line. Minimal preparation can help veneers look natural on large, misshapen, uneven, or misaligned teeth.

If one of your teeth slightly overlaps, a cosmetic dentist must trim the tooth to get a beautiful result. Without preparation, the tooth will stick out even further.

Ultra-Thin Veneers

A skilled cosmetic dentist completes beautiful smiles by blending ultra-thin veneers with conservative tooth preparation. They choose veneer brands based on stunning results—not because they are popular no-prep brands, such as Lumineers, advertised on TV. Remember, even an ultra-thin veneer often requires tooth preparation depending on the condition and position of your natural teeth and the look you want to achieve.

Schedule Porcelain Veneers Consultations

We recommend scheduling consultations with two cosmetic dentists to compare their treatment recommendations for improving your smile with conservative tooth preparation and veneers. Each dentist should explain whether they would prepare your teeth and why.

What you can do:

Look for dentists with advanced cosmetic dentistry training.
Prepare your questions for the consultations and take notes.
Ask to see each dentist’s smile gallery of their porcelain veneers patients.

Dr. Duane Delaune, an cosmetic dentist in Metairie, Louisiana, sponsors this post.

Before and after minimal prep porcelain veneers photos

An example of the results Dr. Delaune achieves with minimal-prep porcelain veneers

Can I Trust This Dentist for No-Prep Veneers?

Posted on March 18, 2022 by AllSmiles.

I understand that Dr. [name withheld] [ is a premier Lumineers dentist. His Instagram page is highly active and has thousands of followers, too. And it seems that some people travel to his office for Lumineers. I am researching Lumineers and other no-prep veneers because I do not want my teeth shaved down. I want to go with a brand that is known for preserving my tooth enamel. Do you mind checking the doctor’s credentials and letting me know if I can trust that he has enough cosmetic dentistry training to know how to give me Lumineers or other veneers without tooth prep? I would hate to travel five hours and be disappointed. Thank you, Karson from Georgia

Karson,

Unfortunately, we cannot find evidence on Dr. [name withheld]’s website or otherwise about his cosmetic dentistry training. We even checked for membership with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. If you want to pursue treatment with the dentist, you can call the office or schedule a consultation and ask for information about his post-graduate training in aesthetics. But we have insight to share with you.

Porcelain Veneers and Shaved Down Teeth

We are interested in your concerns that a dentist will shave your teeth down for porcelain veneers. When expert cosmetic dentists place veneers, they preserve as much tooth enamel as possible. Shaving down teeth describes the dental crown process—not porcelain veneers.

About tooth preparation for porcelain veneers

If your teeth require preparation a dentist will remove a fraction of a millimeter of tooth enamel
From a conversational distance, people cannot tell your teeth are prepared
Teeth are only prepared to prevent your veneers from looking bulky and to produce natural-looking results

Results with No-Prep Veneers

Sometimes conversative preparation will prevent bulky looking veneers. Lumineers are known for looking pasty and bulky. An expert cosmetic dentist will explain the result you can expect with or without preparation.

Rather than choosing a brand of veneers, look for an experienced cosmetic dentist. Schedule a consultation with one or two cosmetic dentists and discuss your options.

Dr. Duane Delaune, a cosmetic dentist in Metairie, Louisiana, sponsors this post.

Porcelain veneers photos of Dr. Delaune’s patient

Having Doubts about this Lumineers Case

Posted on April 10, 2021 by writeradmin.

My husband purchased me a Lumineers package for my birthday. I went in and had all the planning and tooth preparation done and then was just waiting for them to arrive. Several weeks passed and then the cosmetic dentist called and said that something is wrong with the impressions and they need to be re-done. Is this a common thing? As my husband had already paid should I be worried that he is just going to keep our money and not actually ever provide the Lumineers?

Elle

Dear Elle,

I have some concerns here, but not that you will not get your smile makeover. My concern is you are going to get your smile makeover and hate it. Here are some things you need to know. First, cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty. This means any dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist regardless of the amount of training they’ve received. Second, smile makeovers are not taught in dental school, so that training is imperative for a dentist to do a respectable job at these procedures. This leads me to Lumineers themselves.

Lumineers are simply a brand of porcelain veneers. However, they are a brand that is heavily marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists. I have a very bad feeling that your dentist falls into this category for a reason we’ll go into in a moment. Almost all expert cosmetic dentists do not like the brand. This is mostly because the company insists you use their lab, which is not known for its artistic results.

As for your dentist and the impression, that is a completely different concern. While it is not totally unheard of for impressions to need to be re-done, and it happens to even the best dentists, it is the duration with yours that has me concerned. The lab would have known right away that something wasn’t right and contacted your dentist. Maybe because he is so new that he was embarrassed and didn’t contact you right away. But, the length of time tells m that either he held onto it or he sent it back to the lab, telling them to try to work with it, but it was so bad they said no work could be done.

Here is one thing you can do to protect yourself when it comes to cosmetic work. Insist your dentist use a try-in paste when the Lumineers finally arrive. This is a water-soluble gell that allows you to have your Lumineers tried on without permanently bonding them on. You should then get a good look at them in several lights. Only give your approval for them to be bonded on if you are pleased with how your new smile looks. If you aren’t, tell your dentist what you aren’t thrilled with and he should send them back to the lab to be redone until you are thrilled.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.

Lumineers over Crowns

Posted on March 5, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have old dental crowns that look horrible. I’d like to get veneers and am told that the Lumineers brand can go over dental crowns. Would I be a candidate for this? How do I go about finding a dentist to do it?

Everett

Dear Everett,

Above you will see an advertisement Lumineers placed years ago marketing this very concept. While I am certain you will be able to find a dentist to do this for you, what I’d like you to do is go over the information I’m about to provide and ask yourself if that’s what you want. First, let’s talk a little bit about Lumineers. They are simply one brand of porcelain veneers. This particular brand happens to be highly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists. As a result, those are usually the type of dentists you will find that place them.

Dentists with expertise in cosmetic dentistry almost always prefer other brands. This has more to do with the fact that the company that owns Lumineers, DenMat, requires dentists to use their lab, which is not known for its artistic results. When it comes to getting a beautiful smile, you are better served by finding an expert cosmetic dentist and letting them choose the best brand to give you the results you want.

Should You Put Veneers Over Crowns?

Problem One:

Placing veneers over crowns is going to be bulky looking. If you consider that many patients find Lumineers themselves too bulky, you may find yourself feeling like you have horse teeth.

Problem Two:

There will be bonding issues. It is much more secure when you bond porcelain to natural tooth structure than it is when you bond porcelain to porcelain. This means you are at a greater risk of bonding failure. Additionally, your crowns are getting old. What if the bonding for those fails? Now you have double the risk of bonding failure– One from your old crowns and another from the porcelain veneers being bonded onto the crowns.

The Solution to Old Ugly Dental Crowns

The best thing for you to do is simply replace the crowns you have. An artistic cosmetic dentist can give you a gorgeous smile with dental crowns just as easily as with porcelain veneers. I would look on the mynewsmile.com website and get one of their recommended cosmetic dentists to do this procedure for you. Most of them even have a beautiful smile guarantee.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.

My Lumineers Do Not Look Right

Posted on January 4, 2021 by writeradmin.

I had porcelain veneers done almost 20 years ago. I loved them but it was time to get them replaced as they had started to show their age. My old dentist had retired and I used his replacement. I wish I had not now. It has been a completely different experience. First, even though I told him I wanted them to match my last porcelain veneers exactly, he made some changes. He used a different brand of porcelain veneers he called Lumineers because he said they were thinner and he was placing these over my old veneers. That sounded okay to me. But, then he also put a strain on the Lumineers, which he did not mention ahead of time. When they came in I told him I wanted whiter and he said to give it a couple of days and see what I think then. He felt they looked more “natural” this way. I did and still didn’t like them. He told me to come in and he would “fix” it, if that is what you would call it. His fix was to sand off the front which had the staining. Now I am left with this dull underneath. What do I do?

Lorainne

Dear Lorainne,

There are a couple of problems going on here. First, the fact that he put Lumineers over old porcelain veneers is a problem. Porcelain sticks much better to natural tooth structure than to other porcelain. Now not only will you have to worry about the bonding of your new veneers failing, but your old veneers are eventually going to wear down as well and he attached the new ones to them. It is just as much work to place new over old as it is to just do them over. It doesn’t make sense that he did it the other way.

I’m not surprised he placed a stain on them to “make them look natural,” nor that he told you to give it a few days and you would get used to it. What he really meant by that is he didn’t want to do this over and he was counting on you to give up. Most patients don’t have your courage to stand up for themselves. A true cosmetic dentist would not bond on your porcelain veneers until trying them on with a temporary try-in paste and then letting you see and approve them. If you weren’t happy with the color he would never ask you to give it some time, but rather would send them straight back to the lab to be re-done.

He never did this. He may not even have the experience to know about a temporary try-in paste. When he suggested Lumineers, I knew you probably were not getting a highly skilled cosmetic dentist. Cosmetic dentistry isn’t a recognized specialty. Any dentist can try the procedures regardless of their skill level. This particular brand of porcelain veneers is marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place.

Under normal circumstances, you would have no recourse. The standard of care in dentistry is functional. They don’t have to be beautiful, even for cosmetic work. However, once he ground down your Lumineers, they were no longer functional. He removed the glazing on them which is what protects them. Because of that, you have the right to ask for a refund.

Once that is secured, you can use that money and go to a true cosmetic dentist to have these re-done. Look for a dentist listed on the mynewsmile.com website. Each of those dentists are pre-screened for both their technical knowledge and artistry. They can not pay to be listed. Instead, they have to be skilled cosmetic dentists.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune. Click here to learn more about our cosmetic consultations.

Protecting Lumineers

Posted on August 9, 2019 by writeradmin.

I’m considering getting a smile makeover with Lumineers. Can you tell me how hard they are to take care of?

Marilyn

Dear Marilyn,

Advertisement with Lumineers including a woman smiling and a single veneer being held by a tool

It’s great that you’re getting a smile makeover. However, I want to caution you against choosing the brand. Instead, you should carefully choose the dentist and let them choose the brand.

While some dentists place Lumineers. Others prefer different brands. What you want is an expert cosmetic dentist who knows the pros and cons of each brand and can create a stunning smile for you.

Caring For Your Lumineers

Whatever brand of porcelain veneers you get, there are things that are important for you to know to keep them in great shape.

Make sure your hygienist understands cosmetic dentistry: Not all hygienists are familiar with cosmetic work. It is important during your checkup and cleanings that your hygienist doesn’t use anything like a Prophy Jet or acidulated fluoride. Either one of these will damage the glazing and cause your veneers to pick up stains.
Keep up with your home care: Being stain-resistant doesn’t mean you can get away with not taking care of your teeth. You’ll have to brush regularly as well as floss. Some dentists recommend you use Supersmile toothpaste, which is specifically designed for cosmetic work.
Protect your teeth from grinding: If you grind your teeth, you’ll want to make sure you get a night guard. Consistent grinding can cause your veneers (and natural teeth) to chip. A night guard protects them.

Finding that Expert Cosmetic Dentist

Cosmetic dentistry isn’t a recognized specialty. Because of that, any dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist regardless of their skill level. There are countless cosmetic dentistry horror stories by patients who’ve thought they were getting a gorgeous smile with a qualified cosmetic dentist only to leave heartbroken and disappointed with the results.

Because of that, Dr. Hall, who runs the mynewsmile.com website, decided to make a recommended list of skilled cosmetic dentists. He screens them for both technical training as well as their artistry. Anyone he recommends can give you a gorgeous smile you’ll be thrilled to share with the world.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.

lumineers for white spots

Posted on May 1, 2019 by writeradmin.

I just finished my braces and my teeth have white spots on them. It’s pretty embarrassing and my friends have pointed it out to me, so I know it is noticeable. Getting braces was pretty expensive. I want to cover the white spots, but I don’t want to ask my mom about it if it is going to be way too expensive for her. She’s a single mom and works super hard but we don’t have a lot of money.

Becky

Dear Becky,

First, I just want to tell you how proud I am of how you are handling this. You aren’t running to your mom demanding anything. Instead, you are doing research to see if this is even a possibility.

You should know up front, that Lumineers are just one brand of porcelain veneers. Many of the best cosmetic dentists actually prefer to use a different brand, so don’t be surprised if you go to a dentist and they suggest another type.

As far as the cost, that often depends on the quality, skill, and philisopy of the dentist you’re going to, but I would expect it to cost between $800 to $1,600 per tooth.

This may be out of the budget of your mother if finances are a struggle. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a beautiful smile though.

White Spots After Braces

When your braces are removed and there are white spots, it is a sign that food and bacteria became caught around your braces while you were wearing them. The white spots are the pre-cursors to decay, so you’ll want to see your dentist fairly soon to shore up and weak spots before they become full blown cavities.

Repairing the white spots cosmetically can be done with dental bonding. A dentist could hand sculpt the composite bonding onto your teeth and it will cover the white spots perfectly.

In your place, instead of suggesting a procedure to your mother, I would just let her know what’s going on and ask if the two of you can talk to the dentist about affordable solutions.

Best of luck to you!

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.

Are Lumineers the best?

Posted on March 19, 2019 by writeradmin.

I am planning on a smile makeover. I want to get the best one possible. I keep hearing good things about Lumineers. Are they as good as their advertisements say?

Georgiana

Dear Georgiana,

You are right that Lumineers are heavily advertised. They happen to be one of only brands known by name because of that. While they are okay, you can do better. Plus, there is a much more important consideration than the brand.

More Important than the Brand

While some brands are better than others, you can use the absolute best brand and the results would totally depend on the skill of the cosmetic dentist using that brand.

The skill of the dentist is the number one determining factor in whether or not your smile makeover ends up stunning or sad.

Finding an Expert Cosmetic Dentist

You want a dentist who has invested a lot of post-doctoral time in cosmetic training. Smile makeovers aren’t taught in dental school. Instead, a dentist has to intentionally take the time to study its theory and practice.

Just like not all painters have the same skill level, neither do cosmetic dentists. One dentist will have a more artistic eye than another. So, how do you know if you’re getting a Michelangelo or a Mickey Mouse?

One way is to look at their smile galleries. This should be a brag book of sorts showcasing their best work. You’ll want to make sure it is their actual work and not just stock photos they are posting.

However, you’ll likely be safer looking on the mynewsmile.com website. This site examines both the technical skill and artistry of dentists who wish to be listed. They can’t pay to get on. They have to have the requisite skill.

Don’t Be Surprised if they Don’t Suggest Lumineers

An expert cosmetic dentist will know the strengths and weaknesses of each brand of porcelain veneers. Unfortunately, Lumineers has more weaknesses than strengths. Their biggest weakness is the company which owns the brand insists dentists have to use their lab. It’s not known for beautiful work.

Find the right dentist and trust them to pick the right brand of porcelain veneers for your smile makeover goals.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.