For my nephew’s graduation, I offered to pay to get his smile fixed. He wants to be an actor and I’m sure an attractive smile is a must. He doesn’t want braces because they take too long. He’s talking about Lumineers. I looked into them a bit and they have mixed reviews. Can you advise us at all?
Brenda
Dear Brenda,
I’m sure I can help you here. You’re right to be a bit wary about Lumineers. There are many great cosmetic dentists which find them subpar. That’s mostly because they insist they be made in their lab, which isn’t known for its artistry. You have a couple of choices here.
Invisalign and Teeth Whitening
He doesn’t have to get his traditional braces in order to straighten his teeth. There have been great advancements in orthodontics. One such advancement is Invisalign. This uses clear aligners to straighten teeth. It’s more efficient than braces and is completely invisible, even at a conversational distance.
It has an additional benefit too. He may not need it at his young age, but the aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. This will allow him to whiten and straighten his teeth at the same time. Saving both time and money.
This is the treatment I’d recommend if all that’s off with his smile is they need to be straightened. If there are other issues, such as chips, gaps, etc., then I’d go for something else.
Total Smile Makeover
I wouldn’t recommend Lumineers, but seeing as that is only one brand of porcelain veneers, you have nothing to worry about. Find a cosmetic dentist who does beautiful smile makeovers. Make sure you see examples of their work before you agree so you know if it’s beautiful.
The dentist will probably pick a different brand, but that’s okay Trust him or her to know which brand of porcelain veneers will do the best job for your nephew.
This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.