Must I Do Invisalign to Get Lumineers?

I wanted to get a smile makeover. I want my teeth whiter and a tiny bit longer. My dentist and I talked about porcelain veneers. He suggested I get ten Lumineers. He also wants me to get Invisalign done first so that he doesn’t have to remove too much tooth structure. I’m not too keen on doing a year with orthodontics before getting my smile makeover. I do have a couple of front teeth which are a little crooked, but not much. I was under the impression that porcelain veneers could make teeth look straight. Am I wrong about that?

Evelyn

Dear Evelyn,

I don’t feel like you are with the best dentist for getting a smile makeover. This dentist is giving you quite a bit of bad advice. Porcelain veneers are an advanced procedure which require quite a bit of post-doctoral training, as well as some artistic skill in order to do the work properly. I don’t think your dentist has this training.  First, you are correct in your understanding that porcelain veneers, when done well, can make your teeth look straight. If he had the right training, he’d be able to do that. Knowing he doesn’t, he instead  suggested you get Invisalign so that he’d have perfectly straight teeth to work with.

A second issue that makes me suspect his ability with smile makeovers is his recommendation of Lumineers. This is a brand of porcelain veneers that are highly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place because they don’t require any tooth preparation. While this can work in some cases, most of the time the teeth end up looking bulky. Some have even described them as horse teeth. Most expert cosmetic dentists, who would be skilled enough to make them look beautiful, would still not recommend this brand. This is because they insist that dentists use their lab, which is not known for its artistic results.

You do not need Invisalign to straighten your teeth first. You should also not get Lumineers. Instead, I want you to see an expert cosmetic dentist with post-doctoral training in creating beautiful porcelain veneers.

This blog is brought to you by Nashville Cosmetic Dentist Dr. David Wickness.