A study by The Dental Advisor (Vol. 24, No. 3, 2007) shows that the distribution of Cerinate porcelain restorations is as follows: traditional 60%; minimal to no-prep (Lumineers) 23%: and crowns 17%. Granted, that’s just Cerinate’s stats. Durathins, a leading minimal to no-prep brand created by Dr. Dennis Wells and Mark Willes, is rapidly becoming a popular choice, as well. There is so much marketing out there for these products right now, including the Lumineers consumer ads on television, I wondered what the great minds in dentistry had to say about the variety of veneers options. It didn’t take long to find educated, experienced opinions from some well-known experts.
"Yes, for certain situations, nonprep veneers are an excellent, noninvasive, and beautiful choice. But they are not for everybody."
Gordon Christensen, DDS, MSD, PhD
November 2007 Dental Economics
For a video on Dr. Christensen’s clinical procedure for no-prep veneers, visit www.pccdental.com.
"Having placed thousands of veneers since graduating from UCLA in 1986, my personal opinion is based on the same principles that we make all clinical decisions, proper diagnosis, and treatment planning."
David S. Hornbrook, DDS, FAACD
"I have found ulltrathin porcelain veneers to be excellent options for conservative treatment of the tooth surface."
November 2007 Dental Products Report
"In good restorative dentistry, when you put a restoration on a tooth, it must be cleanable and in the proper physiological space. If you’re adding something without taking away, it will be bulky, in the wrong place, and not cleanable at gum line. Patients with microdontia may be able to use additive materials, but you need to prep a margin for good emergence profile. No-prep is trying to make it too easy."
Exclusive DentalBlogs Interview, 2007
So the consensus is mixed. As in all dentistry, the patient’s unique situation is the key factor to making the best treatment choice. We can all be swayed by hype, but dentists less so than consumers when it comes to dental products. As your patients’ trusted oral health and cosmetic dentistry advisor, I challenge you to study all of the options for veneers, then make an ethical decision supported by clinical evidence.