Los Angeles Lumineers

Lumineers® are a trademarked brand of porcelain veneers that are made by Den-Mat, a dental materials manufacturer. Their logo is pictured at the right. The marketing makes it seem like they are a unique product, but there are many similar porcelains.

Dr. Thein does not use the Lumineers brand of porcelain, and let us explain why.

Lumineers are Ultra-thin

The traditional porcelain veneer is about the thickness of a fingernail, which is 0.5 millimeter. Lumineers are slightly thinner than that—about 0.3 millimeter. But they aren't the only brand that is that thin. Other brands, such as DURAthin, are regarded more highly by many accomplished cosmetic dentists, and are considered to be more esthetic.

Having them be ultra-thin provides certain advantages. Less tooth reduction is required. In some cases, it makes it so that the dentist only has to "dust" the enamel surface a little, which would not even require novocain. But the advertising fails to point out that in many cases, a beautiful result requires some tooth reduction through the enamel. For example, if your teeth are crooked, the parts of your teeth that stick out will have to be reduced, or the result will look strange.

Most cases of people who want a smile makeover will require some tooth reduction. Without that, the teeth will be about two millimeters longer and will be bulkier. Dr. Thein believes that the Lumineers advertising creates unrealistic expectations in some patients. Let's illustrate this point with photographs. Here is a before-and-after set that was posted on a Lumineers website in December 2008 to illustrate their results.

Before Lumineers

After Lumineers

While the "after" smile is pretty and white, you can see that the teeth look a little large and bulky. Many people feel that the "before" smile is more attractive! If this patient had received conservative tooth re-shaping to blunt the sharpness of her canine teeth, followed by tooth bleaching, she may have ended up with a more beautiful result for a lot less money.

Problems with Lumineers

Besides the tendency to make the teeth bulkier and longer, the procedure also tends to attract dentists who don't understand cosmetic dentistry. Cosmetic dentistry is an art. Dentists, however, can become certified to place Lumineers simply by paying for a two-day seminar from Den-Mat and then showing up. That's simply not enough time to train a dentist to be an artist. Den-Mat's appeal to the dentist is that the procedure is simple to do and very profitable.

In circles of cosmetic dentists, however, there are other brands of ultra-thin veneers that are thought of more highly. Possibly, the types of dentists attracted by the marketing could account for some of the unpleasant experiences some patients have had with Lumineers.

Some patients have also had trouble with the extra bulk on their teeth. There have been reports of patients who couldn't close their mouth fully, or others who have had their upper lip get caught on the front teeth and have had difficulty speaking clearly.

A Smile Makeover from Dr. Robert Thein

Dr. Robert Thein has his porcelain veneers made by a master ceramist who gives close personal attention to the needs of each smile makeover patient. He does not use the large Den-Mat laboratory, so he does not place the Lumineers brand of porcelain. He fully discusses all options with each smile makeover patient, and if an ultra-thin veneer will work well for your case, he will give that as an option.

He will also make sure that you love the result before it is ever finally bonded to your teeth. He shows you a smile design book before starting your smile design, and discusses with you what design would work best for you, and will use the smile design you prefer.

Then, when he starts the case, he will provide a set of temporary veneers with the smile design you have chosen. This will give you the chance to "test drive" it, so that you can be sure you'll love it. But even then, if you thought you would love the design, but when it comes back from the lab and you try it on, you don't, he will send it back to the ceramist for a re-do. In the end, before he ever bonds it to your teeth, he will make sure that you love it.

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