Affordable LUMINEERS in Silver Spring & Hyattsville, MD
One of the great things about cosmetic dentistry is that it’s not a static field of dentistry with predefined procedures. Rather, like all medical fields, cosmetic dentistry is incredibly dynamic, with new techniques and technologies constantly in development.
Lumineers, a more modern, developed form of the traditional porcelain veneers, are an excellent example. Dr. Allen Gotora from Stellar Dental provides Lumineers for his patients in Maryland, because of the number of ways in which this new technology overshadows traditional forms of veneers.
What is the Lumineer technique like and how does it differ from traditional veneers?
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To understand why Lumineers are a better version of traditional veneers, you first have to know what porcelain veneers are currently like. Porcelain veneers are used to solve a number of cosmetic problems with teeth. Veneers are thin, enamel-like “shells” that can be bonded to the surface of a tooth.
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This may sound like a bandaid solution at first because the dentist is, in fact, literally covering up the problem with a bandaid-like protective shell; but, unlike bandaids, porcelain veneers are very much a permanent solution to cosmetic problems. To apply a veneer, dentists will carefully file down the tooth in question by less than a millimeter before “gluing” the custom-made shell to the tooth with a special type of dental cement. The result is a barely noticeable and sturdy “casing” that protects the tooth beneath. Veneers are allow a patient to retain all the functionality of a tooth while receiving a more aesthetically pleasing exterior.
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There is, however, one major drawback to veneers, though, and that is the filing down of the enamel on the tooth. This need to be done because, as thin as veneers can be, they still take up some amount of space. It wouldn’t make sense for dentists to directly apply a veneer because the result would stick out in comparison with neighboring and opposing teeth making the cosmetic problem worse. Thus, dentists will compensate by taking off half a millimeter of dental enamel to create space for the veneer, a minor but still existent modification that can be bothersome to some patients.
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Lumineers, on the other hand, retain all the positive qualities of a veneer while avoiding this major drawback. How? The answer is simple. Lumineers are far thinner than veneers, meaning that a direct application of the piece would be entirely possible.
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That means the process of getting a Lumineer is much simpler than that for a porcelain veneer. All your dentist needs to do is take a mold of the tooth and create the Lumineer before sticking it to the tooth. As a whole, it shouldn’t take more than two visits and an hour of treatment for you to get the whole procedure, and your tooth will stay as whole and healthy as it was before the treatment with no preparation required!
What kinds of problems could Lumineers solve?
So, what kinds of problems can Lumineers solve? The list will resemble the one for veneers, because Lumineers are typically prescribed in similar situations. Two of the most common situations in which Lumineers are prescribed are when a patient has:
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Discolored teeth:
Most of the time, teeth whitening is enough to get rid of most discoloration in the teeth, but particularly persistent, or internal staining may need a different solution. Lumineers, because they can be dyed to match the rest of your teeth, could be the perfect solution because they can hide any traces of stain while protecting the tooth from further color changes.
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Damaged teeth:
As many people unexpectedly discover, accidents can happen, and when those accidents affect the teeth, it can be easy to panic. Cracks or chips in the teeth, unlike your skin, don’t heal over time. Solutions like Lumineers are perfect for these situations because they can cover any visible signs of the damage while protecting the tooth from further harm, all without affecting the functionality of the tooth.
If you have experienced either of these situations and want to see if Lumineers can help you, contact your local Maryland dentist, Dr. Allen Gotora, for more information! Not every practice may offer Lumineers specifically, but you can always count on Dr. Allen Gotora from Stellar Dental to have the latest techniques in hand. Just call (301) 754-1900 or visit our website: Stellar Dental for more information about getting a Lumineer!
