Tag Archives: stained teeth

Lumineers

Can I Place New Lumineers Over My Old Ones?

Hi,

I got Lumineers placed on my teeth years ago, and they are not as white as I’d like them to be. I know that porcelain crowns can’t be whitened with tooth whitening or bleaching, but I was wondering about something else I could do. Is it possible to place new, whiter Lumineers over my old ones? Is it recommended? I just want my smile to be brighter.

Thank you,

Julia, from Accident, Maryland.

 

Hi Julia,

Lumineers are an ultra-thin type of porcelain veneer marketed as a no-prep procedure, meaning they are bonded directly to your tooth without any surface preparation. Your dentist should have taken your smile concerns into consideration while making your Lumineers. Not getting the color you wanted is probably a result of your dentist lacking experience in cosmetic dentistry. A true cosmetic dentist would take your aesthetic concerns as seriously as your practical ones.

Fortunately, you can get a brighter smile if you re-do your old Lumineers. Putting new ones over your current ones will not save you any time or money, and may also feel too thick when placed in your mouth. Bonding Lumineers on top of existing ones or porcelain veneer increases the risk of failure. Also, the thin margin between where the Lumineers meet would be more prone to staining than if it were placed over a natural tooth.

So to improve the whiteness and look of your smile, you should seek out a cosmetic dentist to replace your Lumineers. Cosmetic dentistry isn’t a specialty recognized by the ADA, but some dentists have received extensive post-graduate training in cosmetic and restorative dentistry, and have the experience to help your case.

Also, be open minded when seeking a new dentist for your Lumineers – not all dentists are comfortable using them, and you may find that a different type of porcelain veneer is best for you.

This blog post is brought to you by Phoenix Lumineers provider, Dr. Hillary Peck. Dr. Peck is a general dentist who has considerable experience with cosmetic and restorative dentistry.

Affordable Dentist

Do Dentists Ever Offer Affordable Porcelain Veneers?

Can you help a gal out? I’ve always been embarrassed about my smile. The two front teeth overlap one another, they’re stained, and two of them are chipped. I’ve been pricing porcelain veneers because I’ve been told they can fix all of those issues at once, but they cost a fortune. Are there dentists who will offer a desperate gal an affordable smile makeover?

Mindy L.

Dollar sign hatched from an egg

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “You get what you pay for.” While it’s not always true, there are certain occasions where it bears more weight. Smile makeovers, especially with porcelain veneers, are one of them. The last thing you want is a slipshod smile. There have been countless smile makeover disasters and I don’t want yours to be one of them.

With that in mind, I want you to ask yourself if it’s more important to you that you improve your smile affordably or to get porcelain veneers affordably? Based on the issues you described, there is a much more affordable way to repair and improve your smile without the high cost of porcelain veneers.

Getting an Affordable Smile Makeover

While veneers are designed for a complete smile makeover, you can get a gorgeous smile without them. Here are three procedures I’m going to recommend to you that combined will still be more affordable for you than what you’re asking for.

  • Invisalign: This straightens your teeth without wire and metal, invisibly. No one will even know you’re wearing them.
  • Teeth whitening: This will take away all the stains that are bothering you. In fact, this alone makes patients look years younger.
  • Dental bonding: Those few chips you mentioned can be easily repaired with dental bonding.

One important thing to note. Make sure you get the teeth whitening done before getting the bonding placed on the chips. You want the bonding material to match your whiter teeth, not your current stained teeth. Also, any visible fillings you have will need to be replaced to match your whitened teeth as well.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Kevin Peck.