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Lumineers pop off

February 15, 2014

Filed under: Lumineers — Tags: , , , — okcitydentist @ 3:01 pm

My sister got Lumineers. Her smile looks nicer. The teeth seem a little bulky to me, but that may be because I am not used to seeing her like that.  I was thinking of getting them myself, but hers have popped off twice. Is that normal? I think it would be embarassing if it happened in public. Her dentist always glues it back on for nothing.

Nancy G. – New Mexico

Nancy,

I think your sister has several problems. Both are caused by dentist who doesn’t know what he is doing. If her teeth look bulky, they probably are.  Lumineers are advertised as a no-prep. However, depending on someone’s smile, their teeth might need some minor preparation. If they don’t get that, they end up looking a little bulky and sometimes too long.

The next problem is the popping off. That tells me that her dentist doesn’t understand the bonding process. When done right, this process is permanent.

It’s fine if you want to get Lumineers, I just wouldn’t use the same dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Oklahoma City Dentist Dr. Don Swearingen.

My dentist stained my Lumineers

January 14, 2014

Filed under: Lumineers — Tags: , , , — okcitydentist @ 8:23 pm

I’ve spent $15,000 on Lumineers and I hate them. My dentist and I went over what I wanted before he ordered them, but for some reason he put a stain on them. When I told him I didn’t like the stain, he said that was the only way they would look normal. Why would he do this?

Wendy S. – Pennsylvania

Wendy,

I can tell you why he did this, but it won’t help you fix it. Many dentists who “practice” cosmetic dentistry don’t really understand it. In dental school dentists are taught that the dentist knows best and that for a smile to look “natural”  there must be some stain on them.  However, true cosmetic dentists understand that what looks natural is the look the patient is striving for. If you wanted a bright white smile, you should get one.

Unfortunately, the only way to fix this is to have them re-done.  I know it probably makes you sick to hear that.

When you do get your Lumineers re-done, make sure you go to a dentist who listens to you.  Some dentists, like Dr. Swearingen, have what is known as a beautiful smile guarantee, where the Lumineers are not permanently bonded onto your teeth until you’ve had a chance to try them on and are sure you like them.

This blog is brought to you by Oklahoma City Dentist Dr. Don Swearingen.

My teeth look fat with Lumineers

November 16, 2013

Filed under: Lumineers — Tags: , , , , — okcitydentist @ 1:56 pm

I spent a fortune on Lumineers. My dentist told me it was better than porcelain veneers because you don’t have to shave your teeth. But they have made my teeth look fat. Is there anything I can do about it?

Maureen B.- Nevada

Maureen,

Your dentist is either uninformed or deceptive.  Lumineers aren’t better than porcelain veneers, they because they are porcelain veneers. They are simply one of several brands of veneers.

They are marketed to dentists as an easy prep because there is no “need” to prep the teeth. This is especially appealing to dentist who don’t understand cosmetic dentistry. Many expert cosmetic dentists do not like the Lumineers brand at all. Bulkiness being just one of the reasons.

Another reason is the lab. The Lumineers brand is owned by the Den-Mat Company and they require you to use their labs.  It is not the most artistic lab.

The reason your teeth look bulky is because there wasn’t any tooth preparation.  To be honest, the tooth preparation is so minimal, it is no big deal, but the Lumineers company uses that as a selling point anyway.

This blog is brought to you by Oklahoma City, OK Dentist Dr. Don Swearingen.

Stained Lumineers

September 16, 2013

Filed under: Lumineers — Tags: , , , — okcitydentist @ 1:48 pm

I got Lumineers to improve my smile, including the color.  My dentist put a stain on them in order to make them look “natural”.  If wanted my teeth to look the way they did before I wouldn’t have gotten Lumineers. Is there anything that can be done?

Brooke- Benton, AR

Brooke,

A lot of it will depend on if they were permanently bonded on or not.  If he just did a temporary try in paste, then he can send them back to get the color you want.  However, if they were bonded on already, you would need a new set of Lumineers.

Unfortunately you dentist will probably not do that for free. Did you tell your dentist ahead of time what level of whitening you wanted? If so, he has some responsibility to meet what you guys agreed on.

When dentists are in dental school, they are taught that teeth need a staining put on them in order to look more natural. However, most cosmetic dentists have learned that what you really need is to listen to the desires of their patients.

If your dentist is not willing to work with you then you’ll probably have to find another dentist to fix your work.  Get a consultation with them ahead of time to make sure it is someone who will really listen to you.

This blog is brought to you by Oklahoma City Dentist Dr. Don Swearingen.