How Much of the Natural Tooth is Taken off Before Veneers And/or Lumineers? I Am Very Nervous (photo)

From almost nothing to .5mm depending on the bite and condition of your natural teeth good luck. Kevin Coughlin DMD, MBA, MAGD    CEO Baystate Dental PC

I'm not sure if you have your procedure done yet, but if not, then please go see a Lumineer certified dentist.  If you were my patient, then I would highly recommend you for Lumineers with NO PREP (no grinding/shaving) of your teeth.  If you had your veneers done already, then I hope you love them because you deserve all the happiness for your transformation.  Please post after pictures.

Your concerns are very valid concerns.  In order to prepare teeth without decay for veneers, only small fractions of the tooth are removed to make room for the veneers. Veneers do not require much space. Lumineers require less tooth removal, however, unless your teeth are very small teeth, Lumineers can sometimes make the teeth look too bulky.


Good luck!

 

Dr. Aurasteh 

You always need to have a reason to do 'veneers or lumineers'.  Are your teeth compromised? big fillings? If not, go get a orthodontic consult and see if you need to be realigned.  I like veneers and they do require removing some of your tooth structure so have clear cut reasons for doing them. I am not a fan of lumineers.

 

The trend with veneers right now is to do as little shaving as possible. That's easy to say, and sounds good to everyone, but there are also often some compromises.

If your goal is to have virtually no shaving done to your teeth, then be prepared to also have veneers that are too thick and also have some aesthetic compromises (this is often the case with veneers like Lumineers).

If your goal is to create an amazing smile and nearly perfect front teeth, then it will require at least some shaving.

Looking at your photo, you have a number of issues that need to be managed well to get great veneers.

It's normal to be a little anxious before something like this. But if it's really making you nervous, then call your cosmetic dentist and ask to speak with him again.