These two terms in the dental world have caused confusion for many people, both because they sound alike and because they actually are alike. Both lumineers and veneers are made from porcelain, and they act to fix a variety of flaws on your teeth, such as discoloring or unevenness for better smiles. The biggest difference is that Lumineers are thinner than veneers and they're not really made for the bigger dental issues.
If you have a small chip in your teeth and maybe have a few that need to be lengthened a tad, then a dentist would probably suggest lumineers to you. They're actually more comfortable than the veneers because of the coating — lumineers look much like a contact lens. Some people have a difficult time getting used to the veneers as they always feel like something is on their teeth. However, a dentist won't be able to do everything with Lumineers. There's simply not enough flexibility considering the diameter. Veneers have been used in place of braces for patients with dental problems like major gaps between teeth. As you would expect, there's more preparation a dentist has to perform with veneers and there may be physical changes to the original tooth's structure. They're both routine procedures, just one is slightly simpler than the other.
Before you decide on the type you need, you need to be honest about how you want to look. If you look at your smile and you basically just want a small upgrade, then lumineers will give you a white, stain-proof simile that dazzles. You likely won't even notice you have them, even at the very beginning. However, if you have several large chips that you want to fill in or have one tooth that's drastically shorter than the others, then you'll likely need to talk to your dentist about veneers instead. Veneers generally take an adjustment period before people get used to them.
If you have any questions and are looking for a trusted dentist, contact our certified experts at Southfield Family Dental Center today!
