I don’t know what to do. I got Lumineers because I’m going on a book tour and wanted to look my best. I’m supposed to read an excerpt and then do a signing line. I think they look okay, though they seem bulky. My biggest problem is I’m speaking funny and my tongue keeps catching on them. My dentist says I’ll get used to it, but I haven’t and my first tour date is coming up. What’s going on?

Eliza M. – Dayton, Ohio

Eliza,

You’re in a pickle. The problem is a combination of the dentist and the brand. Lumineers are advertised to inexperienced dentists as being easy to place, no-prep veneers. That tends to give a lot of inexperienced cosmetic dentists the confidence to move forward. That might work on cases that are textbook, but very few cases are textbook. Most, need at least minor shaving to make the case look right.

You could go back and have your dentist try to adjust the Lumineers, but depending on his skill it might not do much good. With your speaking dates coming up quickly, you might do better to go to an expert cosmetic and have the changes made. If you’re thrilled with how they look you can just have them adjusted. But, if there’s the slightest bit of disappointment in how they turned out, I recommend you get a refund and then have the case re-done by someone with more expertise.

Don’t be surprised if they recommend a different brand of porcelain veneers. Many highly skilled cosmetic dentists aren’t thrilled with the Lumineers brand. Much of it has to do with their lab, which they require dentists to use. It doesn’t give the most artistic results.

In the meantime, I’d recommend practicing your passages as much as possible. That’s just as a precautionary measure. You may find you do adjust enough to get through the book tour and then can deal with everything properly when you’re not feeling quite so pressured.

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