Do you have stained or yellowed teeth? Maybe you have a crooked or damaged tooth that you want to cover with a restoration. Dental veneers and lumineers are options for patients with damaged, crooked, and discolored teeth. If you want to address these problems, our cosmetic dental options can help. Here we will compare treatment with lumineers vs. dental veneers in our Boise, ID, dental office.

Lumineers vs. Veneers in Boise, ID

Both lumineers and veneers can cover tooth gaps, slightly crooked teeth, stained teeth, and chips or cracks in the tooth enamel.  Before treatment, we will always review your options for your smile. If you are interested in dental veneers but don’t know which option is right for you, we welcome you to learn more about how traditional veneers compare to lumineers.

Traditional Porcelain Veneers

Typically, dental veneers are made of a porcelain ceramic shell. Each shell is about 0.5 mm thick. We remove a small amount of tooth enamel to prepare teeth for dental veneers. This preparation ensures that the veneers do not look or feel bulky in the mouth. Because of this preparation, we cannot easily reverse treatment with veneers. Patients who choose veneers must be committed to wearing veneers for many years. Dental veneers can last 15 to 30 years or more with the right care. After treatment, we ask patients to avoid eating hard or crunchy foods or drinking beverages that can stain, including wine, tea, and coffee.

Traditional veneers can benefit patients with misshapen, cracked, or chipped teeth. Veneers add structure to teeth and renew the appearance of single teeth. In addition, veneers can address one or all of the teeth that show when smiling. Veneers are a great option for patients who want to address all of the teeth in their smile line but do not require orthodontic care.

Lumineers

Also known as minimal prep veneers, lumineers are an alternative to traditional porcelain veneers. Lumineers are much thinner than veneers at 0.3 mm. We typically recommend lumineers for patients with discoloration. This is because lumineers are more transparent. We will not recommend lumineers if patients have large areas of tooth damage.

Although lumineers may not last as long as porcelain veneers, they require little to no preparation. Additionally, lumineers are more simple to remove and can last 10 to 20 years with the proper care. Lumineers are a great way for patients to improve their smiles without permanent results that affect their natural teeth.

Are you looking into veneers for your smile? Do you need to address tooth stains or a dental injury? Schedule a dental appointment with us online or call LIFESmiles Family & Cosmetic Dentistry at (208) 254-6365. We’re happy to help you find the right veneer treatment for your specific needs. Let our team know if you have any questions about the treatment process or your veneer options, and they will be glad to help.