With so many treatment options in cosmetic and restorative dentistry, it can sometimes be difficult for patients to figure out which treatments are right for them. That’s where our Toluca Lake dentists come in! We work with our patients to help them assess their options and, ultimately, make healthy dental decisions.
In today’s article our Toluca Lake dentists are comparing and contrasting three popular dental treatments: dental bonding, veneers, and LUMINEERS. We hope that this information helps you start thinking about how you can improve your smile.
Dental bonding, veneers, and LUMINEERS are often used in similar situations, in order to achieve aesthetic and functional results. With these treatments, you can close gaps between your teeth, correct cracks and chips, cover discolored enamel, and even make poorly aligned teeth look straighter.
Dental bonding achieves these results using composite resin. Once our dental team applies the resin to your teeth, and shapes it accordingly, we’ll cure it so that it hardens and bonds to the dental structure. Bonding is the most affordable of all of these options, and the entire process can generally be completed in just one dental appointment. Composite resin can be shaded to match the patient’s natural dental shade, in order to achieve a natural looking result.
Veneers, on the other hand, are individually-crafted porcelain restorations. Veneers are very thin, so they do not look or feel bulky once bonded to the natural tooth structure. The shape, size, and color of the veneer is customized to the suit the patient. In general, it takes two to three appointments to complete veneer’s placement. Our dental team will need to shave away some existing tooth structure prior to placing the veneer, in order to make space in the mouth.
LUMINEERS are also thin porcelain restorations; the thing that sets them apart is that they are made from Cerinate porcelain. The strength and durability of Cerinate means that LUMINEERS can be crafted to be even thinner than veneers. If you choose LUMINEERS, our team will not need to shave away very much tooth structure, and thus LUMINEERS are generally considered to be reversible—you’ll have a healthy and whole tooth under your LUMINEER.
If you want more information about any of these treatment options, our Toluca Lake cosmetic dentists are here to help. Schedule your personal consultation to get started!