Dr. Hall,
After having Lumineers applied six weeks ago, each week I’ve had one fall off or come loose. Each week I go back and have it reapplied only to have it fall off again. I had eight Lumineers in all and all of them are on my upper teeth. The four that keep coming off are the two on each side towards the back. Is this normal on those particular teeth? For the money spent, I feel I got ripped off. After having them applied, can they be removed or is there damage to the teeth underneath? I’m really disappointed in them. I can’t chew gum anymore and I have to watch other things I eat so they don’t fall off while chewing and swallow one of them. The application was also a lot more painful than I was told. Very unhappy with Lumineers!!!
Thank you for your help,
-Lisa in Georgia
Dear Lisa,
The Lumineers horror stories are starting to come in.
Here’s what’s happening. The company that makes them is really promoting them hard, both to the public and to dentists. And many dentists are jumping on board because they see this as an easy source of income. They require much less work than traditional porcelain veneers, but the fee they can charge is almost the same. And when a dentist attends the two-day Lumineers course, he or she becomes “certified.”
But it takes several years for a general dentist to become an excellent cosmetic dentist–much longer than a two-day course. So, there are many dentists trying to do Lumineers who really don’t know enough about cosmetic dentistry. They don’t understand smile design. They haven’t been trained in the bonding technology. They take an impression and send it to the lab, and let the lab do the rest.
Here’s what I would do if I were you. This may seem harsh, but in my opinion, this is the best way to get this fixed. Go to one of the expert Atlanta cosmetic dentists we recommend and find out how much it would cost to get this fixed right. And then go back to the dentist who put the Lumineers on you, and threaten to sue unless he or she pays to have this fixed right. It isn’t that hard to get porcelain veneers to stay on your teeth. There is something your dentist is doing wrong every time, or these would stay on. And not being able to get them to stay on would make the dentist look very bad in court–I don’t think he or she would want to risk having to face a jury and explain why he or she couldn’t get them to stay on.
Whether or not they could be removed and your teeth could be restored to their original condition, I couldn’t tell you without starting to remove them. It depends on what the dentist did in putting them on. But that wouldn’t be fair to you, to just remove them. You paid to have a beautiful smile, and I would insist on getting that beautiful smile that you paid for. I think you’re entitled to that.
That’s my opinion. As you can see I’m known for being pretty direct–I call them as I see them.
Dr. Hall
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About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.
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