Lumineers

[jasminetea]

Has anyone had these fitted? What was your experience like? Are they more expensive than porcelin veneers, is the extra cost worth it? How about continuing care of them?

 

My teeth are AWFUL!

[sb129]

Ok JT- I don't work in the US, so I can't really advise you on precise costs, but I would say this-

 

I would never ever use/ recommend Lumineers again except in very exceptional circumstances.

 

The principal sounds awesome- "no prep veneers" keep your natural teeth sound etc etc, but in practice its hard to get this to adapt to real people esp if they have crooked, crowded or rotated teeth. the last time I did Lumineers I ended up sending them back because they made the patient look like a horse.

 

Its hard to advise you accurately without seeing at the very least a photo.

 

If you PM me a photo it might be easier?

 

Porcelain veneers are excellent at achieving good aesthetic results, I usually use them in conjunction with whitening treatment, as veneers don't change colour, so you usually want them to be as white as the patient wants them to be.

 

Veneers can last from 12-15 or even 20 years if you look after them properly. You would need continuing care with your dentist every 6 months and hygienist at least every 6 months.

 

Orthodontic treatment is still a popular way to correct crowding/crooked teeth- you can now get almost invisible, removable braces called Invisalign.

It takes longer, but its less destructive, and the results are more permanent and therefore need less maintenance at the end.

A good orthodontic plan plus whitening treatment is what I personally would choose for myself. (which is what I have had).

 

If you have heavily filled front teeth however, veneers or crowns can have the added benefit of protecting them from further damage/ wear and tear.

 

Hope this helps.

[jasminetea]

Thanks so much for that info. I'm in the UK, not US if that makes a difference?

 

My upper teeth are well spaced and not rotated or crowded. The main problems are - they are fairly short and the bottom edges slightly chipped. Also the two front upper ones are quite badly pitted. I also have a very long gum line.

 

My bottom teeth are actually ok and I'd be happy to not have them veneered.

 

I had a whitening plan about three years ago, but its made my teeth very sensitive so I'm loathe to do it again. I also wonder if its made my teeth more porous and thus they've become more stained. Is that possible?

 

Is the only reason you wouldn't do them again because they make one look like a horse?

 

Many thanks again, I really appreciate this!

[sb129]

I was working in the UK when I did them- it was more than the "horsey" look- I didn't think they lived up to their claim. The patient was totally unsuitable for them, and we ended up having to do full crowns.

 

Good thing about them is you can try them on before you commit, but some dentists (in fact probably all) would charge you for that. From memory I think we charged about £250-£300 per tooth? That was a couple of years ago.

 

A good cosmetic dentist in conjunction with their technician should talk you through all the stages and be taking photos and models of your teeth. They should also be able to do what we call a "wax-up" which is when the technician does a mockup on a model of your teeth of how they will look after treatment- and your dentist can then use this to do a "trial smile" actually on your teeth- its a temporary, removable little plasticy thing which is modelled on how they are planned to look, which is a way of showing you how they will look before you go ahead with the treatment.

A waxup and a trial smile should cost you between £150-£200 this may or may not include the consultation cost.

 

I do this for all my cosmetic patients, I work in a mainly cosmetic practice now. As far as cosmetic dentists in the UK go- where do you live?

I would only see a dentist there that was a member of a cosmetic dentistry association, and someone with a fair amount of experience. They may cost you slightly more than a more inexperienced dentist, but you can be more assured that they will know what they are doing- cosmetic dentistry is something that dentists learn after they qualify and there is alot more to learn than many of them think.

 

(dud results in this area are on display for everyone to see, so its worth investing a bit more money)

 

The thing about whitening is that if you are 100% happy with the shade they are now, thats great- you can match the lumineers to that shade- if not, and you want to go whiter, you need to whiten first so the lumineers will match, otherwise if you change your mind and want to whiten later, you will be stuck with the original lumineer colour unless you get them replaced.

 

Hope this helps.

[sb129]

PS yes- whitening can make them stain more but usually only during the course of the active treatment.

 

Again, a good whitening plan should include instructions on what foods/drinks to avoid during active treatment AND a maintenance plan, as most peoples teeth fade and need "topping up" every 3-4 months.

 

Whitening in the UK is a bit of a grey area as its not actually 100% legal for anyone to do it there (ESP anyone who isn't a dentist, but there are 100s of beauty therapists doing it), therefore the training on it is a bit sketchy and many people don't do the right amount of training to get good long term results.

[sb129]

A costing for you: (depends where you live, and this is veeeery rough)

 

Consultation : £75-£100 excluding xrays

Whitening: £200-£400

Wax up and Models/ Trial Smile: £150-£200

 

Veneers/crowns: Probably between £1000-£2500 depending on how many you have.

 

Maintenance- £50-£100 every six months to see hygienist. (essential to make them last as long as possible)

plus your checkup fees, plus any other treatment (fillings etc) you might need.

 

Don't be freaked out- I have had some fabulous results, and it seems like alot of money, but nearly every single person I have seen in the last few years has been thrilled with their results, AND have all said it was worth it.

 

Most dentists offer payment plans too.

 

Let me know how you get on.

[sb129]

Oh- and one more thing- if your teeth are worn or chipped, it might have something to do with grinding or your bite in which case lumineers wouldn't be suitable for you as you would probably wreck them within 5 years- a good cosmetic dentist should assess your bite and advise you on the best course of action with regard to this.

 

LOTS of things are possible though, good luck!

[jasminetea]

That is utterly brilliant! Thank you so, so much.

 

I live near Newbury and my dentist is a member of the BDA but I'll check on the cosmetic dentistry association membership. They do a lot of cosmetic work there - its a big practice, so one hopes they're kosher.

 

I have ground my teeth in the past, but this stopped years ago.

 

The whitening I had was done by a dentist that I no longer see (I moved house) and they said nothing about ongoing care and maintenance. I haven't spoken with my current dentist about any of this but will do so now.

 

Once again, I really appreciate your help in this. I understand far better the options now and I'll be much better equipped to understand my dentist when I discuss this with him. Thank you

[shadowplay]

Sorry to hijack this thread, but, SB129 what's your opinion on getting dental work done overseas -- say in Costa Rica? Eventually I'd like orthognathic surgery to correct my bite, but it's way too pricey in America. My insurance doesn't cover it, even though my dad was able to get the same procedure thirty years ago covered by insurance. I've heard good things from a few people about places like Costa Rica, but I'm not sure how high their medical standards are.

[burning 4 revenge]

Sorry to hijack this thread, but, SB129 what's your opinion on getting dental work done overseas -- say in Costa Rica? Eventually I'd like orthognathic surgery to correct my bite, but it's way too pricey in America. My insurance doesn't cover it, even though my dad was able to get the same procedure thirty years ago covered by insurance. I've heard good things from a few people about places like Costa Rica, but I'm not sure how high their medical standards are.

Youre going to go there to fix your teeth and come back with one big eye

[sb129]

Sorry to hijack this thread, but, SB129 what's your opinion on getting dental work done overseas -- say in Costa Rica? Eventually I'd like orthognathic surgery to correct my bite, but it's way too pricey in America. My insurance doesn't cover it, even though my dad was able to get the same procedure thirty years ago covered by insurance. I've heard good things from a few people about places like Costa Rica, but I'm not sure how high their medical standards are.

 

If I endorsed this to any of my patients I would be doing them a huge disservice.

 

I know its very popular to have "treatment holidays" and go somewhere cheaper and get dental/surgical work done, but the reasons I would advise against it are as follows-

 

- its practically impossible to know whether the treatment (and more importantly, follow up care) is regulated to the same standard as it is in your own country. While there are excellent surgeons and dentists all over the world, it does get a bit more complicated if you start crossing international borders.

 

- there are many legal implications that are not in your favour as a tourist. (see below) It gets tricky when it comes to guarantees and care responsibility, esp if you aren't a legal citizen of the country you have the treatment in.

 

- if anything goes wrong after you get home, you are in a different country to the person who performed the procedure- who do you see to fix it?

No health professional in your own country would fix it for you without a hefty charge, because they didn't do the original procedure, (they would be obliged to see you for follow up care if they did) and it could get potentially expensive if you have to go back to the other country for follow up.

 

- most things dental need follow up and regular (6 monthly) maintenance. You would have fund those yourself in your own country.

 

SP- for something as MAJOR as orthognathic surgery, I would highly recommend that you stay in your own country.

Its pretty big surgery with huge potential to go wrong in unskilled hands, and the results are visible for everyone to see.

 

You would also possibly need orthodontic treatment in conjunction with that, and usually the orthodontist and the surgeon work together in planning the treatment over a period of a few years, so unless you plan to move to Costa Rica, that could also pose some problems.

 

Can you change your insurance? Or start paying extra so it might be covered later? I would look into that if I were you.