I have an 8mm tooth gap and want to improve my smile. I told my dentist that I didn’t want to get braces, so he is suggesting that I get Lumineers. That’s pretty expensive, but if you think it is a good solution I’ll fork the money over.
Brittany
Dear Brittany,
I’m very glad you wrote. Whatever you do, do NOT get the Lumineers. First, the size of your tooth gap is large enough to fit an entire other tooth in there. It would take one of the top 1% of cosmetic dentists in the country to get it to look right. I don’t think your dentist is an expert cosmetic dentist. This has more to do with the fact that he is recommending Lumineers.
This is a brand of porcelain veneers that is highly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place. They say this because they can be placed without tooth preparation. Though, most smiles will look bulky without some minimal tooth preparation. Those who are skilled cosmetic dentists often do not like the Lumineers brand. This is because they require dentists to use their lab, which is not known for its beautiful results and would prefer to use their own ceramist.
I don’t think you’re going to need Lumineers or any brand of porcelain veneers for your situation. There are now ways to straighten your teeth without traditional braces. I recommend you get Invisalign. These use clear aligners, as pictured above. No one will even know that you are straightening your teeth, even at a conversational distance. This will allow you to straighten your teeth in half the time of traditional braces.
There is an additional bonus to using Invisalign. The clear aligners can double as teeth whitening trays if you are interested in that procedure, allowing you to straighten and whiten your teeth simultaneously at a fraction of the cost. Your dentist can provide you with the whitening gel that you can wear in the aligners at your convenience.
This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.