The Era of Dental Veneers

Dental Veneers Illuminate Smiles

Back in the 1980s, smiling got easier with the invention of dental veneers. The veneer is a layer of material that is placed over the teeth to improve appearance as well as protect a damaged tooth. You can imagine that Hollywood took to this new cosmetic procedure very quickly. Suddenly, everyone on the silver screen appeared to have picture-perfect white teeth.

Dental veneers were embraced rapidly because the procedure was relatively simple. First, an impression of the patient’s teeth was made and sent to a lab. A few weeks later, the patient was given a million-dollar smile. Dental veneers are made of two types of materials—composite and porcelain. A composite veneer is built directly onto the tooth whereas a porcelain veneer is bonded to the tooth using a cement-like adhesive. Compared with other procedures at the time, dental veneers were fairly non-invasive and done in a relatively short amount of time.

Despite advantages, traditional dental veneers did have their disadvantages. For example, during the time between the first visit with the dentist and the visit when the veneers were applied, people complained of increased tooth sensitivity to hot and cold liquids or foods. This is because traditional veneers often required resurfacing, or “shaving off” the top layer of the tooth enamel. But technology has advanced rapidly since the introduction of dental veneers in the 80s.

Today, there are ultra-thin LUMINEERS, which don’t require resurfacing or reshaping of the teeth. LUMINEERS are dental veneers that are thinner and stronger than their predecessors, allowing LUMINEERS to be bonded directly onto teeth with minimal preparation. Because they don’t require reshaping of the tooth or removal of the enamel shell, your teeth’s original structure will remain intact and suffer no permanent damage. LUMINEERS are designed and manufactured exclusively by Den-Mat in Santa Maria, California and are the only veneers clinically proven to last over 20 years. So accept no substitutes—ask your dental professional for LUMINEERS by name!