Veneers and lumineers – what is the difference?

The Hollywood smile has become a benchmark that is being sought after all over the world. Thanks to modern dental materials, it has become quite easy to have such a smile. Ceramic onlays on the teeth, veneers or lumineers, will make the tooth row even and the color of the teeth – flawless. Veneering is the most popular aesthetic dentistry service. In some cases, it allows you to do without wearing braces or other orthopedic structures for a long time. Patients appreciate ceramic plates for the speed of installation. You can dazzle others with your smile in as little as 2 weeks. For lumineers, the period is a little longer, a month and a half.

Veneers and lumineers – what is the difference?

Technically, both types of products are ceramic onlays on the teeth. They differ primarily in thickness, material of manufacture and indications for use. The main difference lies in the preparation of the surface before installation. For veneers, the teeth are prepared and the top layer of enamel is removed. Therefore, the installation process is irreversible. Lumineers are so thin that their installation does without grinding. Lumineers can be waived if desired.

Lumineers

Thin plates made of a specially developed ceramic material called Lumineers Cerinate. Its composition is so secret that lumineers are made only in the laboratory of the DenMat company in the USA. It happens in 2 ways.

1. In any country in the world, the patient’s jaw impressions are made. They are sent to the USA. There, Cerinate ceramics are used to make onlays, which anatomically accurately repeat the shape of the patient’s teeth. Finished lumineers are sent back.

Pros of the method: very thin, strong onlays that can please their owner for 20-25 years. Minuses: long waiting period (about 6 weeks) and impossibility of quick replacement. If the plate is peeled off or chipped, you will have to wait a month and a half for a new one.

2. DenMat Laboratory makes universal Lumineers Duo. They are made of ceramic mass with the addition of composite, according to a single template. The dentist fits these “ready-made” lumineers to the patient’s teeth in his mouth.

Pros: the waiting period is significantly reduced. Minuses: the production does not take into account the individual characteristics of the teeth. Such plates are slightly thicker (by 0.1 mm) and their color is more opaque.

Veneers

They are made of:

• porcelain;
• glass-ceramic;
• zirconium dioxide.

Porcelain is good from an aesthetic point of view, but quite fragile. Zirconium is very hard, but in terms of aesthetics is inferior to porcelain. Glass-ceramics combined sufficient strength and high aesthetic qualities. The most famous material is lithium disilicate. Products made of its derivatives, E-max and Empress, imitate the light-reflecting properties of natural enamel. The shades range from transparent to opaque (matte), so that even pronounced color changes can be hidden.

Ultra veneers or ultra-thin veneers

The advent of glass-ceramics allowed the development of technology for the production of veneers that are comparable in thickness to lumineers. Since Lumineers is a patented name, they have come to be called ultraniers. This emphasizes the difference from the classic onlays and does not repeat the name of the plates from the USA. They are made of E-max ceramic. The fracture strength of E-max is not less than that of Cerimate, and there are more color options.

Difference between veneers and lumineers

Indications for use

Ceramic onlays are designed to improve the aesthetics of the smile. Their main purpose is to eliminate the following imperfections:

• Enamel cracks and chips;
• age spots;
• discoloration of teeth;
• gaps between teeth;
• small teeth;
• mild tooth curvature;
• protruding teeth;
• gingival smile.

The difference between veneers and lumineers is that the latter can only correct mild defects. The plates are so thin that dark spots shine through them, and the shade can be lightened by a couple of tones, not more.

When it is better to refuse from overlays

Installation of ceramic plates of any thickness is not indicated in certain medical conditions. These include:

• uncontrolled teeth grinding (bruxism);
• 3-4 degree periodontal disease (teeth are visibly loose);
• too thin a layer of enamel;
• more than 50% destruction of the visible part of the tooth (crown);
• bite disorder;
• pronounced curvature of the teeth.

Stages of installation

The algorithm of installation of ceramic onlays is the same. When installing lumineers excludes the stage of preparation. Otherwise, the procedures are similar.

1. Preparation. Before installing the plates carry out the necessary treatment, do professional cleaning of the teeth. In the case of single onlays are installed, sometimes whiten the teeth.
2. Choice of color. In lumineers it is limited, in veneers – huge. From natural colors to ultra-white, which do not exist in nature.
3. Preparation. This stage is only for veneers. The dentist removes a layer of enamel equal to the thickness of the overlay and forms the gingival protrusion. This work ensures a good fit. Gaps are not left, there are no microleakage. The transition to the gingiva is smooth.
4. Taking impressions. Classic method – on silicone. Digital method – using a scanner. Digital smile design allows you to see the result when the technician has not yet started work.
5. Fabrication of onlays. How this happens with lumineers is kept secret. For the manufacture of veneers can be watched on YouTube. The technique of layer-by-layer application, pressing or milling is used.
6. Fixation. Veneers and lumineers on the front teeth are fixed in the same way, only the adhesives are different. Surfaces are degreased, dried, treated with a special composition (bonding). On the inner surface of the plate and on the enamel, dental cement is applied and tightly press them to each other.

What is better – veneers or lumineers

Each microprosthesis has its own advantages and disadvantages. The main disadvantage of veneers is the preparation. On the other hand, it is grinding that helps to achieve a tight fit.

Lumineers preserve the enamel, but visually enlarge the teeth. This is good for small teeth, but if your teeth are naturally large, the effect is excessive.

The thickness comparison is in favor of lumineers, but ultra-thin veneers are confidently approaching the same thickness. But in the choice of color, veneers are undoubtedly leading.

Differences in price are quite significant, in addition, in the case of veneers, there are options. Usually, feldspathic overlays are cheaper, zirconium – more expensive, but any of them still do not compare with the cost of lumineers. These are the most expensive onlays.

The choice of onlays depends on many factors. The decision to install veneers or lumineers is made by the dentist, taking into account the specific clinical situation. He has the opportunity to choose from several options to meet the needs of the patient and carry out prosthetics with maximum benefit.