When would the results of Lumineers be better than Braces for teens??

Question

(http://www.wgntv.com/news/medicalwatch/wgntv-lumineer-pkg-sept17,0,1008742.story) It seems that most dentists would recommend that teens use the traditional method of braces to straighten teeth rather than use lumineers. This report says that one teen with small discolored teeth opted for lumineers instead of braces. What else is key in making sure that lumineers are really a smart option for teens? If a teen's bite, jaw is grown and teeth are fairly straight, then they don't seem like they are a candidate for braces in the first place.

Brian Povolny, DDS, PhD · Answer

Lumineers or other veneers are used for changing the shape, color, or size of front teeth. They have been used to "straighten" crooked front teeth as well, but for a young person with healthy teeth this is not often a good option. This is because it creates an unhealthy contour of the tooth crown near the gumline. Also, any restoration like a veneer can break or have other problems like decay, and thus we assume that the restoration may need to be replaced, possibly repeatedly, over decades. Even in cases where the teeth are too small and need veneers to be wide enough to look normal, orthodontic positioning of the teeth is usually needed to create the proper spacing for a healthy and attractive veneer.

Martin Frankel, DDS · Answer

Dentistry and medicine have come so far in the 21st century.  People are living longer, and able to keep their teeth longer than ever before.  For this reason the focus in medicine and dentistry is to preserve and maintain what we have, to keep ourselves healthy so our bodies will last into our 80's and longer.

	If the teenager has attractive teeth but the goal is to align them to make for a better smile, then I would recommend orthodontic treatment every time.  At the end of the day the person will have a beautiful smile and their own teeth to care for.

	If the teeth are unattractive, pitted, stained, discoloured, broken down, then a mininmal prep or no-prep veneer like Lumineers is a good option.  Just be aware that as the person grows, and their jaws and bite develop, at some point in time the veneers will have to be remade.  They will require maintenance for life.

	Both treatment options are good options, but choose the option that is appropriate for the problem on hand.

Robert Waxler, DMD, MS · Answer

Natural teeth are ALWAYS better than anything a dentist can do! Less chance of gum problems, decay, replacement, breakage, mismatched color, etc. etc. etc. The ONLY time one should think about veneers (especially for teens and young adults) is when the natural teeth are broken down, internally stained, malformed, excessively small, etc.....IF you have nice, well formed and normally colored teeth: go with ORTHO (hopefully you could do it with Invisalign

When would the results of Lumineers be better than Braces for teens??

Answers (3)