Are Porcelain Veneers Painful To Get Attached? Article

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Are Porcelain Veneers Painful to Get Attached?

Recently, a new type of porcelain veneers has appeared on the market, Lumineers. Lumineers advertizes itself as being superior to traditional veneers for many reasons, including the fact that Lumineers are not painful like traditional porcelain veneers.

Author: Sara Goldstein

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This is mostly a marketing move, but it does make a number of people nervous about the amount of pain they may experience in getting porcelain veneers.

So, how much pain is associated with porcelain veneers? If there is any pain, it is likely to be experienced either during or after the preparation of your teeth to receive the veneers, something that is not done when you are going to receive Lumineers.

Preparing Your Teeth for Veneers: How Much Enamel Is Removed?

In preparing your teeth for receiving porcelain veneers, a dentist will try to remove between 0.3 and 0.5 mm of enamel. This is not a precise process, however, and studies have shown that the same cosmetic dentist using the same process may actually remove significantly different amounts of enamel. This amount of enamel is significant, because the thickness of the enamel actually ranges from about 0.31 mm to 0.75 mm, and thins with age. This means that a dentist may actually be removing enamel down to your dentin. The dentin is not the same as the nerve in the tooth, but it is a softer tooth material, and when the dentin experiences pressure it is more likely to register as pain in the nerve.

The amount of tooth material removed also depends on whether you are trying to correct crooked, crowded, or poorly shaped teeth. In these cases, more material is removed to allow restorations to reshape or reposition the visible portion of the tooth without repositioning the tooth root.

How Much Discomfort?

As with any type of discomfort, the amount you experience when receiving porcelain veneers can vary just on your personal characteristics. For example, a recent study showed that men and women with red hair actually experienced more pain than blondes or brunettes. Other factors that may cause you to experience more pain include:

• Increased age
• Thinner enamel
• More correction of tooth shape or position
• Periodontal disease
• Dentist technique

Often, dentists have a list of previous patients who are prepared to give testimonials. If you are considering porcelain veneers with a particular dentist, it's a good idea to talk to former patients to learn what degree of sensitivity they experienced. This can give you an idea of whether this dentist truly has a "gentle touch."

Is It Worth It?

Only you can decide if porcelain veneers are worth it for you. Look at porcelain veneer before and after galleries from several dentists to see the kinds of results you might expect. Consider the cost and the benefits to you. Consider alternative treatments that may address one, some, or all of your dental conditions.

Once you decide that porcelain veneers are the right treatment options, it is almost always better to get traditional porcelain veneers rather than no-prep veneers such as Lumineers. Most dentists agree that Lumineers may be good for a limited number of cases, but traditional porcelain veneers are recommended for the majority of cases. You may experience some discomfort following treatment, but it is likely to pass as quickly as the discomfort associated with your last filling, if not sooner, but your great results from porcelain veneers can last a decade or more.

To learn more about porcelain veneers in the San Diego area, you can visit the website of Strober Dental.

About Author

San Diego cosmetic Dentist Dr. Rod Strober runs a state of the art dental practice for area residents. His LVI training and 20 years of practicing dentistry qualify him for even the most complex cosmetic dentistry cases.

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Are Porcelain Veneers Painful to Get Attached?