Durathin Veneers
Serving Phoenix, Arizona
High Quality, No-Prep Alternative to Lumineers
Many patients are excited about the possibility of prepless veneers. Much of this can be attributed to DenMat Corporation’s marketing campaign to promote its product, Lumineers. They have done an excellent job in raising public awareness of prepless veneers and promoting conservative cosmetic dentistry. Even though the majority of our veneer cases over the years at DesertSmiles have involved preparation such as MacVeneers, we have always had tooth conservation as a primary goal as well as a beautiful esthetic result. We now routinely do “hybrid” cases in which some of the restorations are conventional while others are Durathin (prepless) veneers.
We are excited to offer non-prep veneers in our Glendale cosmetic dental office. We have chosen the Durathin veneer as we feel it is an incredibly high quality alternative that is made here in the United States (Lumineers are currently manufactured in China). I think the no-prep technique rivals and many times exceeds conventionally prepped veneers visibly and functionally.
Two critical factors determine the quality of a non-prep veneer result. The quality of the laboratory involved and case selection. Only 25% at most of patients are candidates for a total non-prep case. Ideal situations for prepless veneers include:
- Bicuspid extraction orthodontic cases or any post orthodontic case
- Cases with short, worn teeth (assuming bite forces are managed)
- Misalignment cases in which one or two teeth are lingually (set inward) positioned
- Cases in which teeth need more presence (big lips or small teeth)
Advantages of Lumineers and Durathin veneers are:
- Minimal trauma and discomfort
- Almost 100% bonding to enamel
- Allows patients who refuse to have their teeth reduced an option for smile enhancement
- Practically reversible
- Younger patients can more easily enjoy the benefits of cosmetic makeovers
Disadvantages of Durathin veneers and Lumineers include:
- Due to additive effect, they can be used on only 25-30% of patients without significant compromise to the final result
- Due to bite limitations, they are difficult to impossible to do on lower teeth
- They are more fragile and difficult to handle until bonded in place with the dental laser
- They have a limited amount of masking ability for dark teeth
- Teeth need to be in an ideal arch form or close to it
With the Durathin veneers we still work out the details of the smile through temporaries as in our traditional veneer cases. This test smile is a critical step in our success here at DesertSmiles.
For further information regarding cosmetic and restorative dentistry, contact Donald Wilcox DDS, serving patients in the Glendale and Phoenix, Arizona area.
Durathin Veneers Before
Durathin Veneers After
602.978.1790
18275 N 59th Ave Bldg C, Ste 114
Glendale, AZ 85308
602.978.1790
