I am in love with my new Lumineers smile – it’s absolutely beautiful. There’s only one thing I’ve noticed that is quite bothersome — my upper lip seems to stick to my front teeth and it gets really dry. It’s worse when I am talking – and kind of embarrassing, too. What’s going on and how do I make it stop? — RayAnn
Dear RayAnn,
Lumineers are a great option for many people and it’s great to hear that you love your new smile. Unlike traditional porcelain veneers preparation (where the dentist shaves the tooth down about a half a millimeter), Lumineers are often applied with no prep and bonded directly to the tooth. Because of this, they are a little thicker than natural teeth and that is why your lip is catching and drying out. While it’s just your lip right now, you may eventually start noticing your whole mouth drying out and that could lead to gum disease and tooth decay.
Your dentist can shave your Lumineers down a little and then polish them, but he or she could accidentally shave right through them to your tooth enamel – and that’s definitely not something you want to happen. Aside from just trying to get used to the dry lip, your best option would be to have the Lumineers re-done.
This blog is brought to you by Dr. Alana Macalik. For more information on the services she provides, visit her Arlington cosmetic dentist website.