I have had Lumineers for almost eight years now. I look at how much I spent and I’m still surprised I was able to get 16 of them. Well, let’s say I started with 16 until they started falling off. But I couldn’t go back to the original dentist that placed them because I moved across the country. So I went to a new dentist to have some of them replaced. The original dentist didn’t do anything to refund or help me out. I was not very happy. I also noticed my veneers seemed to get darker. It got to a point where I was hiding my ugly smile with how much color change had taken place. Doesn’t that completely defeat the point of having porcelain veneers done in the first place? Anyway, now I feel like my teeth are darkening underneath the veneers too. What do I do about my Lumineers failure? Is there any hope?
– Sherry in Arizona
Sherry,
Sorry to deliver the bad news, but it sounds like your Lumineers will need to be replaced. The discoloration and other issues you have described means that they are leaking. This also means that the next thing you need to be concerned about is tooth decay.
It sounds like the original dentist completely botched your smile makeover. The dental bonding wasn’t done properly in the first place. Then, it sounds like they may not have been properly re-bonded because very few dentists actually do this important step correctly. It is absolutely essential that the old bonding material is cleaned off and re-etched. This needs to be done with hydrofluoric acid. But since you are noticing more discoloration it doesn’t sound like the next dentist you saw was an excellent cosmetic dentist either.
So, moving forward it’s all about selecting the right cosmetic dentist. Don’t go in and say you want new veneers. Do a little research upfront and find an expert cosmetic dentist that has extensive credentials and training in cosmetic dentistry. When you find the right dentist, be prepared that they will likely not want to do Lumineers. This is because not many great cosmetic dentists prefer Lumineers because there trademark restrictions on their product. Again, the key is finding the right cosmetic dentist and trusting their recommendation regarding the particular brand of porcelain veneers. Then, you can rest assured that they will stand behind their work and you won’t have to worry about any future discoloration or veneers falling off.
This post is sponsored by Barrington cosmetic dentist James T. Gavrilos, DDS.