Lake Forest Lumineers

A lot of people have seen Lumineers commercials, and this brand of porcelain veneers has become a household name. But there are several common misconceptions that people have about Lumineers that we would like to clear up.

The first misconception is that Lumineers are unique. The fact is that they are only one brand of porcelain veneers. They are able to be made very thin, but other brands are also quite thin. In fact, Den Mat, the company that makes Lumineers, says that they can be made to a thickness of 0.3 millimeter. However, Dr. Fondriest’s master ceramist uses a brand that can be pressed to a thickness of 0.2 millimeter.

Another misconception is that Lumineers are easy to place. Since they are relatively thin, they can sometimes be placed without any reduction of the teeth beforehand. But while this is easy for the patient, it makes placing them even more demanding for the dentist and the laboratory technician. There is much less room to manipulate the color and the shape and produce a beautiful smile.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Lumineers

Chicago cosmetic dentist Dr. James Fondriest can discuss whether Lumineers are the best choice for your particular case or whether another brand might be more appropriate.

Lumineers are manufactured by the Den-Mat Corporation, a dental materials company based in Santa Maria, California. Because of trademark restrictions created by Den-Mat, all veneers sold under this brand name must be manufactured at the Den-Mat laboratory, which is a very large and impersonal laboratory. Dr. Fondriest prefers to work directly with a single master ceramist, Matt Roberts, to craft veneers from a variety of different ceramics, depending on the specific needs and aesthetic wishes of the patient. Some ceramics are better for certain cases than others.

Lumineers are known for being an ultra-thin veneer, which allows the dentist the option of placing them without first “prepping” the tooth by roughening the surface enamel to allow the veneer to bond. However, unless the dentist is very skilled, such a technique can have a poor result. Placing Lumineers without prepping the teeth will add 2 millimeters to the overall length of the tooth. Some patients have reported difficulty with speaking or smiling with the additional length. Because the veneers must be feathered at the edge, some patients have also experienced staining where the veneer meets the natural tooth.

Dr. Fondriest has perfected his own technique for applying a “prepless veneer” that does not have the same issues and he can use this application with a variety of different ceramic materials to best suit the needs of the patient. The “prepless veneer” will not be suitable for all cases. However, even if the teeth must be prepped beforehand, Dr. Fondriest takes care to remove only a small fraction of the surface enamel, so that future dental restorations, if necessary, can take place.

You can learn more about our porcelain veneer options on our porcelain veneers page. You also may be interested to read about Dr. Fondriest’s beautiful smile guarantee. And, to see examples of Dr. Fondriest’s work, including patients who have had “prepless veneers” applied, please visit the Smile Gallery.