My wife grew up in a very abusive and neglectful family. While her mother was busy shooting herself up, my sweet wife took care of her siblings. From the time she was ten years old, she’s been an adult. Combine that with the fact that her family was very poor, you can imagine she has a hard time spending money. Her teeth have always embarrassed her. I love her smile, but I know it bothers her. I want to do something really special for her which she’d never do for herself. I’d like to get her a smile makeover. I think if I tell her it’s a Groupon, she’d do it. She thinks Groupon makes it okay to get something, because you’re saving so much money. Is it possible to do that? How does it work? I keep hearing about Lumineers on the television. I looked it up and they have a Groupon. I don’t know anything about cosmetic dentistry, so I’m not sure if Lumineers is what would make her feel as beautiful as she is.

Richard P.

Dear Richard,

What a fantastic way to honor your wife. Just from the short bit you’ve written, I can tell she’s an amazing woman. The type of woman who deserves to feel like a princess. However, I’m glad you wrote first. We’ll start with Groupon.

I’m certain the Groupon would require you to use a certain dentist. You’d want to research that dentist before you purchase anything. Is he (or she) a skilled cosmetic dentist? What type of results do they get? Maybe they’re new to smile makeovers. They could be using Groupon as a way of drawing in cosmetic patients to give them practice. There have been many smile makeover disasters where people spent thousands of dollars and wound up with a smile which looked worse than the one they came in with. You don’t want that happening to your long-suffering wife.

Next, let’s discuss Lumineers themselves. I’ll be honest with you. Lumineers are often marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place. So, many unskilled cosmetic dentists use them. In fact, some of the best cosmetic dentists do not like the Lumineers brand. This particular company requires dentists to use their lab. The skill of the lab is equally important to the skill of the dentist. I’ve known quite a few highly skilled dentists who feel this lab is sub-par, at best. She’d be better off with a different brand. Choosing a great dentist is the key. They’ll know which brands will fit your wife’s smile design best.

In your place, I’d research great cosmetic dentists in your area. Check out their smile galleries to see if you like the results they get. Do they offer a beautiful smile guarantee? If not, use someone else.

Then, bear in mind not everyone is a candidate for porcelain veneers. Your wife will need a consultation with the chosen dentist to 1. determine her candidacy and 2. discuss and design her dream smile.

She may not even need veneers to get a gorgeous smile. Maybe her teeth just need some straightening and whitening. In that case, I’d combine the Invisalign and teeth whitening procedures. These are fantastic treatments which don’t cost as much as veneers.

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