What Should I Do About My Nephew’s Smile?

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For my nephew’s graduation gift, I told him I would pay for him to get Invisalign. He was thrilled. His dentist is trying to talk him into switching to Lumineers because he said his smile could be whiter too. It is a lot more expensive. A LOT! I want to do what is best for him though. I know what it is like to have an unattractive teeth and didn’t want him to try to navigate adulthood with a preventable insecurity. Is this a better plan for him?

Amanda

Dear Amanda,

I bet there are a bunch of people reading this who wish you were their aunt. You are very generous and thoughtful. I am a bit concerned about your nephew’s dentist suggesting such an expensive procedure for something that can be done without it. If the only reason he is suggesting Lumineers is the addition of a whitening ability, there are much less expensive ways to do that. In fact, your nephew can whiten his teeth simultaneously with Invisalign for a FRACTION of the cost that you would have to pay for Lumineers. His dentist could simply provide him with the whitening gel and that can be used in the Invsalign aligners, which can double as whitening trays.

Lumineers are simply a brand of porcelain veneers. They happen to be a highly marketed brand. In reality, unless your nephew has structural changes he needs to his teeth, that can’t be handled by orthodontics, then getting porcelain veneers would be overkill in his particular situation.

Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that your nephew did want to change the shape of his teeth as well. I would likely recommend you use caution with the Lumineers brand. I would focus on the dentist and make sure you get an expert cosmetic dentist who invested in significant post-doctoral training in cosmetic dentistry.

Smile makeovers are not adequately taught in dental school so dentists need to invest in that training themselves. Expert cosmetic dentists will know which brand will give the type of smile the patient is looking for. Each brand have their strengths and weaknesses.

This blog is brought to you by Mt. Dora Dentist Dr. Michelle Stillman.