1) Difficulty in achieving a natural-looking end result
The wafer-thin veneers placed using a no-drilling protocol is often criticized because with some applications they must be made out of comparatively more-opaque porcelain or placed using relatively more-opaque cement, so they are able to adequately mask over the colour of the natural tooth structure that lies underneath.
Why is having opaque veneers a problem?
The whole issue of opaqueness has to do with how natural looking the veneered tooth will end up looking.
Tooth enamel, the part of a tooth that a veneer tries to mimic, is translucent (light is able to pass through it). And a great deal of what gives a tooth its lustrous look has to do with the way light enters into this layer and is then reflected back out.
If a veneer (or veneer/cement combination) doesn’t accurately simulate enamel’s light-handling effect (as in it’s too opaque and keeps light from entering), your tooth’s appearance won’t look quite right. It might look white, but it won’t look perfectly natural.
- Since it’s so thin, to effectively mask the stained tooth structure that lies underneath the veneer must be made using relatively opaque porcelain.
- But due to this opaqueness, light will tend to reflect off the veneer’s front surface and not penetrate into it like it does when it strikes enamel
- Because of this difference in light handling, the veneer won’t look truly lifelike.
2) Potential Tooth bulkiness especially in the gumline area
They may create tooth bulkiness. – No-drill (no tooth preparation) placement can easily result in bulky, over-contoured teeth.
That can make new veneers hard to get used to. It can also make the teeth they’re placed on harder to properly clean.
3. Plaque retention – Periodontal and tooth decay problems.
A primary concern is the amount of thickness added at the gum line.
The underlying problem.
If you bond a porcelain veneer directly onto the untrimmed surface of a tooth it will change the tooth’s contours, in the sense that there will now be a ledge (sometimes referred to as a “speed bump”) right where the veneer ends
Dentists formally refer to this type of change as affecting the “emergence profile” of a tooth, meaning altering its contours in the region where it exits the gums.
This type of over-contouring can:
- Make it more difficult to remove dental plaque at the gum line.
- Tend to interfere with the natural cleansing action created by a person’s lips and cheeks as they slide over a tooth’s surface.
In general, under contouring, a dental restoration typically makes a more benign error than over-contouring. And placing no-drill Lumineers® seems to break this rule of thumb.
Problems that may develop.
When dental plaque cannot be adequately removed, issues associated with tooth decay and gum disease may occur. Of the two, experiencing gum problems is the more common occurrence (persistent gingivitis, periodontal disease).
The consequences of either can be problematic to resolve.
- Repairing cavities frequently means that the restoration must be replaced. In extreme cases, the decay may be so extensive that just replacing the veneer may no longer be an option for the tooth.
- Treating gum disease can be successful. But any degree of gum recession that occurs (either triggered to the disease process or its treatment) can easily spoil the appearance of an entire set of veneers.
4. An artificial appearance
Placing restorations that create larger, fuller teeth can easily result in a look that’s artificial. In extreme cases, the term having “horse teeth” may certainly apply. Of course, the degree to which this occurs is the key. And toward keeping it to a minimum case selection is always a primary determinant.
Some people don’t care.
Despite this outcome, the convenience and comfort of being able to take advantage of no-drilling/no-shots placement may be so attractive to some people that this is an easy enough trade-off to choose. Having bigger, larger teeth is not a concern as long as they’re whiter and more perfect.
5. Problems with function
Another area of concern is how the increased size of the veneered teeth will affect the person’s daily activities.
- Larger teeth can be cumbersome, affect a person’s speech, or even the way they bite into things.
- Fuller teeth can also change the way a person’s lips are supported by or rest over their teeth. In extreme cases it may be difficult for the person to close their lips together.
Fortunately, over time people tend to adapt to these types of difficulties. It’s just a matter of how extreme the change has been.
6. Cost
The total amount of treatment time that a dentist must set aside for a no-drill Lumineers® case is less than that needed for conventional veneer placement. (That’s because there’s less work to do during the 1st visit.)
But this cost-savings is at least in part offset by the fact that the dental laboratory bill for the Lumineers® will likely be greater.
Because they are thicker, conventional porcelain veneers can be made out of comparatively more-translucent porcelain, yet they are still able to mask dark tooth structure that lies underneath them.
That means the light will be able to enter into and reflect back out of them in a fashion that truly mimics the lustrous look of a natural tooth.
Also, a thicker laminate generally offers the dental technician more opportunity to incorporate characterization and shading qualities into the veneer itself by way of using different shades of porcelain in its fabrication
A lot of people simply don’t appreciate this difference.
We do have to admit that when it comes to the issue of obtaining a precisely lifelike result, many people just don’t seem to care.
The ease and pain-free advantage that no-drilling/no-shots technique offers simply outweighs the disadvantage of a less than the perfectly natural-looking outcome.
Have a look at our smile gallery of photos that shows some of the beautiful smiles that we have worked on. We are committed to excellence & changing lives of our patients through smiles. Whether you’re in need of more advanced procedures such as “extreme Smile make-over,” Porcelain veneers, and bonding or you simply wish to correct a chipped tooth or create a whiter smiles, our practice provide personalized and cosmetic dentistry for every stage of your life. We have over 30 years of experience of providing gentle and quality General and Cosmetic Dentistry in Melbourne CBD, that you can count on.
We can Turn your dream of beautiful smile into reality.
Call us now for your FREE MINI COSMETIC CONSULT on 9629-7664