What is the difference between veneers and lumineers and what to choose for dental restoration

Publication date: 03/18/2021

A smile is part of nonverbal communication that is understandable to anyone. Some emotions simply cannot be expressed without a smile. According to research by American scientists:

• 75% of respondents would not want to do business with sad people
• 58% think moody people are hiding something
• 70% would not consider making friends
• 55% would not start working with a gloomy person

With the help of a smile, we invite people to communicate, make friends, thank them, and apologize. A snow-white radiant smile is an indicator of health, beauty and self-confidence. Those with an attractive smile achieve great success not only in their personal lives, but also at work.

The most important component of a contagious smile is straight and white teeth. They are an indicator of health and success. A smile can be light, not exposing your teeth, but when you laugh, you definitely won’t be able to hide them. Therefore, people begin to care about the beauty of a smile in their youth.

Unfortunately, not all people have straight and snow-white teeth. Curvature may appear in childhood, and yellowness may even be an individual feature. Fortunately, dentistry now offers several ways to solve problems with a less-than-perfect smile. For example, veneers or lumineers are installed.

Veneers

Veneers are thin ceramic shells that are attached to the front teeth. To do this, the teeth are ground by 0.3 - 1 mm. Typically, veneers are used to correct not only the color, but also the shape and curvature of teeth. For example, if the teeth are too large or protrude too much forward, and also have interdental gaps.

Veneers are made from ceramics using digital technology. They have high strength, resistance to heat and various types of erosion. Their thickness is 0.3 - 0.6 mm. These veneers can be translucent or opaque.

The service life of veneers ranges from ten to fifteen years. They do not require special care.

Advantages

After installing the veneer, the patient experiences reduced pain when eating hot and cold food and drinks. With good and proper care of your dentures, their service will last longer. The color of the plates is selected identical to the shade of the tooth.

Other advantages: the plates are thin and durable, fixation is quick, and can be used for a long time.

Veneer installation process

Veneers are made to order. Therefore, they perfectly follow the dentition and are not felt at all when worn. At the first visit, an impression of the patient’s teeth is made, it is decided how many teeth the prosthesis will be installed on, and its shade is determined.

To select the optimal color and shape of veneers that suit you, the doctor uses a computer design method. He takes a photo of a smiling face and uses modeling to determine the necessary parameters. You can imagine in advance how suitable the shade and shape of the veneers you have chosen will be.

To install veneers, teeth must be ground down. This is also done at the first appointment. Temporary veneers are then installed, as the wait for the original can be several weeks.

At the next appointment, the dentist removes the temporary veneers and tries on new ones. If they fit perfectly, he places them on special glue:

1. A composite material is applied to the treated dentition, the shade of which is selected in advance;
2. veneers are fixed and excess material is removed;
3. If necessary, grinding is carried out according to the bite.

Features of care

After fixing the onlays, no specific procedures are required - teeth should be brushed as usual, twice a day. It is recommended to purchase an irrigator - this is a small portable device that supplies a mixture of water and air under high pressure. This compact device allows you to thoroughly clean hard-to-reach places. It is also important to rinse your mouth regularly after each meal, and it is best to limit your intake of coloring foods and drinks.

For good use an irrigator

Solid foods should be eaten with extreme caution so as not to inadvertently damage the plates. With care, a beautiful snow-white smile will remain with you for many years.

1. Bragin, E.A. Basics of microprosthetics. Pin designs of dentures, inlays, veneers, artificial crowns, decorative dental onlays, 2009.

Pros and cons of installing veneers

Veneers can eliminate dental defects, however, they have their positive and negative sides.

The advantages include the following:

• With the help of veneers, you can correct quite severe deficiencies: crooked teeth, enlarged interdental spaces, severe chips.
• correction of the color of teeth if they are pigmented or have an unattractive yellow tint from nature.

The disadvantages of using veneers include grinding off the upper layers of enamel, which entails increased tooth sensitivity. In addition, installing veneers is an irreversible process. After the expiration of the period of use, it is necessary to order new implants.

In what cases is fixation of overlays indicated?

Microprosthetics allows you to solve a whole range of aesthetic problems at once. Here are the main indications for its implementation:

• yellowness of the enamel, pigmented areas,
• darkening of teeth and the inability to lighten them using in-office whitening,
• fluorosis or tetracycline teeth as a result of long-term use of tetracycline antibiotics, which causes the enamel to become yellow,
• presence of minor chips and cracks,
• crowding or slight curvature,
• small crown height,
• Tremas and diastemas are interdental spaces.

With the help of microprostheses you can get rid of yellow teeth.
We are talking only about minor defects and the desire to get a dazzling smile. However, in more complex cases their installation will not be possible. In case of severe curvature or destruction, you will have to resort to orthodontic methods or full prosthetics.

Contraindications for installing veneers

There are not many contraindications to installing veneers. One of them is installation up to sixteen to eighteen years of age. At this age, the formation of the bite, enamel and teeth is still underway.

Another contraindication is teeth that are too damaged. In this case, there is simply no need to attach a microprosthesis. Here you will have to install an all-ceramic crown. However, if the teeth have been damaged by cervical caries and then restored and filled with aesthetic restoration, then they can be covered with veneers.

Each case is individual and the question of what to choose for correction: veneers or lumineers is decided by the doctor together with the patient.

Difference in service life

In terms of service life, traditional models are considered less reliable, which is due to less tight contact with the base. Lack of fit, combined with non-compliance with medical instructions for hygienic oral care, increases the risk of developing caries and inflammatory processes. Particular attention should be paid to the material of manufacture and fixation - the most durable option is zirconium dioxide, fixed with mineral-based glue.

Lumineers and their features

Lumineers are thin plate-shaped plates 0.2 to 0.3 mm thick made of ceramic that are fixed to the front teeth. The wear life is more than twenty years.

Lumineers are used to correct minor dental defects. Such as: pigmentation, small chips, unattractive shade.

Any implants are installed only on healthy teeth. Therefore, if caries is present, it must be cured.

Lumineers can be installed in just two visits to the dentist.

1. At the first appointment, the doctor performs an examination, takes dental impressions and determines the shade of future implants. Sends the impression to an American laboratory, where lumineers are made using the patented Cerinate technology.
2. At the second appointment, the dentist performs a professional teeth cleaning. Then the finished lumineers are tried on and installed. The doctor applies etching and primer to the enamel. The inside of the lumineer is coated with a fluoride-enriched composition that strengthens dentin and makes the lumineer resistant to high acidity. The procedure is performed under multiple magnification using a dental microscope. This guarantees the highest precision of implantation. After placing the lumineers on the teeth, the composite solution is dried using a curing lamp. Then the excess cement is removed. The procedure for installing lumineers is complete.

Estimated cost

The final tariff for microprosthetics consists of a number of indicators. By default, thinner overlays are more expensive because the originals are manufactured and shipped from the USA and require more careful processing of the original materials. On average, the price for installing ceramic veneers varies in the range of 29-35 thousand rubles, composite ones will cost 20-25,000, and Cerinate lumineers - from 65 thousand rubles. and higher. To clarify prices, as well as undergo an initial diagnosis from a qualified doctor, make an appointment at the Dentika clinic, which offers a wide range of dental services.

Pros and cons of installing lumineers

Lumineers correct the color of teeth and correct minor external defects. For example, small chips and slight curvature. However, they cannot sustain serious damage, and in this case it is better to seek installation of veneers.

Another important disadvantage is the price of lumineers. Due to the fact that they will be manufactured using patented technology only in specialized American laboratories, the cost of lumineers is 2-3 times higher than the price of veneers.

However, the advantages of lumineers are undeniable. The most important thing is that there is no need to grind the teeth. This way you can always remove microprostheses and return to their original state.

An important feature of lumineers is their color. They have a matte surface. This makes the smile snow-white and “Hollywood”, however, it does not look entirely natural.

Also, in some cases, if the patient has large teeth, lumineers will add even more volume.

Safety indicators

According to this indicator, veneers and lumineers are no different from each other. Both types of onlays are made from ceramic - a material that is biocompatible with the tissues of the human body and does not cause allergic reactions or pathological changes in the body.

In order for the installation of veneers and lumineers to help you acquire a beautiful smile and not lead to negative consequences for dental health, it is important to carry out the process of fixing the onlays correctly, without errors and inaccuracies.

We install veneers without grinding the teeth and at the same time obtain excellent fixation density, eliminating the occurrence of caries and other pathological processes under the veneers.

Lumineers or veneers - making a comparison

The difference between veneers and lumineers is as follows:

• veneers are thicker, so you need to grind down the top layer of the tooth
• Lumineers last 10-15 years longer
• veneers look more natural
• Lumineers are much more expensive

Depending on the goals and budget, the patient makes a choice towards one type of prosthetics or another.

In addition, over the years, a small gap may form at the junction of the gum and the veneer attachment, where food debris will accumulate. This can cause caries. Treating caries on teeth with installed veneers is much more difficult and expensive.

Lumineers without grinding teeth

Advertising for lumineers assures: these onlays are ultra-thin, and therefore they can be installed on teeth without preliminary grinding of the enamel, but for veneers, the enamel will definitely have to be ground and this makes the aesthetic restoration procedure irreversible and, moreover, causes harm to the health of the teeth.

If you believe the advertising, lumineers have a clear advantage over veneers. However, veneers are different, for example, in our clinic in Moscow, AestheticA, we make veneers using a unique, patented technology and therefore their fixation on the teeth does not require preliminary work with the enamel and its grinding.

In addition, when advertising assures the consumer that lumineers can be placed on teeth without grinding down the enamel, it is being disingenuous. In 90% of cases, a procedure for grinding the enamel is necessary, because without it, a gap will form between the microprosthesis and the natural surface of the tooth, in which plaque will accumulate. Plaque is a favorable environment for the proliferation of carious bacteria, and this means that sooner or later, caries will appear on the tooth covered with an onlay, and treatment will require removal of the onlay. Plaque can also provoke gingivitis, localized periodontitis, and the constant ingress of saliva and food debris often leads to a deterioration in the fixation of the lumineer, as a result of which it can simply come off.

The technology for installing veneers without turning from our dentistry in Moscow - AestheticA - allows us to obtain microprostheses no thinner than lumineers and at the same time fix them on the teeth with maximum density and without turning the enamel. This technology for installing veneers is our unique and patented development; you will not be offered a similar service in any other dentistry in Moscow!

Take a short test and calculate the cost of treatment!

Take a short test

• What teeth need veneers?
• Choosing a tooth shape
• Choosing teeth color
• Cost calculation

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Manukyan Artavazd Genrikovich

Chief physician of the clinic

What is more expensive: veneers or lumineers?

A short table of price comparisons in Moscow.

Questions and answers

Is it true that empress veneers installed in your clinics do not require grinding or removal of enamel?
Good afternoon Please tell me, is it really true that the empress veneers installed in your clinics do not require grinding and removal of enamel? In connection with what?

Hello! To install Empress veneers, grinding of the enamel is required to better attach the veneer and give the teeth an anatomical shape, but the grinding is not as deep as when installing other types of veneers, since Empress veneers are ultra-thin plates made of a unique high-strength material. You can find out more detailed information about the properties of Empress veneers and the features of their installation during a free consultation with our orthopedists. You can make an appointment by calling + 7 (495) 789-42-02. Sincerely, Patient Support Center SIMPLADENT++8 800 333-53-41

Is it possible to hide or disguise a crooked tooth with a veneer?

Good afternoon Tell me, is it possible to hide/disguise it with a veneer if a tooth is crooked? On my right, the fang goes inside the jaw. I don’t want to get braces, and I can’t afford the money for mouthguards. It seems like the solution is veneers, but I need your preliminary advice.

Hello! Theoretically, such defects can be corrected by installing veneers. However, only a doctor can answer you for sure based on the results of the examination. Come to our specialists for a free consultation, the doctor will explain to you all the details of veneer prosthetics and write out a treatment plan indicating the cost. Our clinic uses highly aesthetic Empress veneers made from ultra-strong ceramics. For more details and to sign up for a free consultation, please call +. Sincerely, Patient Support Center SIMPLADENT++8 800 333-53-41

Other questions

Other jobs

Which plates are better?

Here are the arguments in favor of purchasing veneers:

• Good value for money.
• The pain experienced during tooth grinding is comparable to conventional dental procedures.
• Veneers are inferior to lumineers, but they can be fully appreciated by patients who do not need a Hollywood smile.

Lumineers are a new and expensive type of plate. Their installation is not always relevant. The jaw of patients who receive lumineers appears more massive.

Sometimes it is not possible to fit the plate along the edge of the gum; this can cause bleeding and inflammation in the future. Stitching will be required, requiring additional financial investments.

Lumineers are not produced in the Russian Federation, but are ordered in America, so they are expensive. Due to this, there are many scammers in the market. Only a doctor can give advice on choosing vinyls or lumineers to a patient.

A detailed examination by a dentist determines the possibility of choosing the desired method of prosthetics . Upon completion of the appointment, the doctor will simulate the result of the upcoming treatment. Before evaluating dental plates, everyone needs to weigh all their advantages and disadvantages, and then make a choice.

Examples of work “Before” and “After”

Restoring aesthetics with lumineers
Case: the patient complained of unsatisfactory aesthetics of the anterior teeth (yellow enamel, curvature).

Aesthetic restoration of anterior teeth - lumineers

Case: the patient complained about the unsatisfactory aesthetics of his smile (he was not satisfied with the color and shape of the teeth), since the teeth were not affected by caries, the curvature was small, the patient chose the most non-traumatic restoration option - installing lumineers without grinding and depulping the teeth.

Are there any contraindications

Orthopedic onlays are not fixed in the presence of untreated carious cavities and other dental diseases - first you will have to deal with all the associated problems. Veneers that require grinding are undesirable for patients with thinned enamel. Those who suffer from bruxism - involuntary clenching of the jaws during sleep - will also have to refrain from this method.

The photo shows the consequences of bruxism