I absolutely love my new Lumineers smile – it looks better than I could ever imagined! But lately I’ve noticed one little problem with my upper lip. The only way to describe it is that my lip gets stuck on my teeth and dries out. It seems to happen most of the time, but is worse when I am talking. It’s not a huge deal, but I’m wondering if there is something I can do or a product that might help. — Alexandria
Alexandria,
Congrats on your new smile. Lumineers are a great option for smile makeovers and while they work perfectly for many people, they do have their flaws. It’s surprising that you aren’t making a bigger deal about this lip issue, because most people would probably find it quite annoying and embarrassing and be back in the dental office immediately.
The problem here is that most dentists place Lumineers without any tooth preparation (it’s one of the biggest selling points the company makes in their advertising). Because they are bonded directly to your natural teeth, they can sometimes look and/or feel bulky. Your teeth are now a little thicker and that’s why your lip is getting stuck and drying out. Traditional porcelain veneers require shaving about a half a millimeter off the front of the tooth before bonding. Even that small of an amount (about the thickness of a fingernail) can make a big difference.
Unfortunately, your only options are to either learn to live with it or ask your dentist to redo the Lumineers. There’s not a product that can help and any other intervention such as trying to shave down the Lumineers and re-polishing could ruin them or increase your risk of gum disease or tooth decay because it could damage your enamel.
This blog is brought to you by Dr. Alana Macalik. For more information on the services she provides, visit her Arlington cosmetic dentist website.