Types of “No-Prep” Veneers - Village Dental Clinic

Quick summary

Traditional porcelain veneers usually mean removing some enamel, which cannot be undone. No-prep or minimally invasive veneers — Lumineers, DURAthin and Vivaneers among them — aim to avoid or reduce that by bonding a much thinner shell to the front of the tooth. Some are about the thickness of a contact lens and suit smaller cosmetic corrections. Whether they suit your teeth needs assessing first.

Porcelain veneers have become a popular option in the past few years for dental patients who wish to brighten and repair their smile. While traditional porcelain veneers offer a lifelike quality and excellent durability, their placement usually requires the removal of some of the tooth surface enamel, which is an irreversible procedure.

A promising solution for patients who wish to avoid altering the tooth structure are no-prep or minimally invasive veneers. No-prep veneers offer the same advantages of traditional veneers but eliminate or reduce the need to grind, cut, or file down the teeth.

Lumineers are one of the most popular of the “no-prep” variety of veneers. Lumineers use an extremely thin veneer that is placed on the front side of your teeth. The placement of Lumineers does not require the modification of the natural tooth structure or the use of temporary veneers. Lumineers produce beautiful smiles for patients who prefer to not physically alter their teeth.

DURAthin veneers are similar to Lumineers in that they require no modification of the tooth structure or filing of the enamel. DURAthin veneers utilise very thin customised porcelain shells that match the shape and colour of your teeth. These shells are roughly the width of a contact lens and are bonded to the front of your teeth. Because of their size and shape, DURAthin veneers are an ideal choice for correcting minor cosmetic dental issues.

Vivaneers are among the thinnest veneers available, making them easy to apply in as little as one office visit. Because they require no preparation to your natural tooth, there is no need for shots, drilling or anaesthesia. If you are unhappy with the results, Vivaneers are easily reversible.

To find out if these or other “no-prep” veneer options would be a solution for improving your smile, schedule a consultation with a Kogarah cosmetic dentist Dr. Anju.

Questions patients ask us about this

What does no-prep actually mean?

It means the natural tooth is not ground, cut or filed down before the veneer goes on. Because the shell is so much thinner, it can be bonded to the front of the tooth as it is. That keeps the underlying tooth structure intact, which is the main reason patients ask about this option.

Are no-prep veneers suitable for every case?

No. Because so little is changed on the tooth itself, thinner veneers tend to suit minor cosmetic corrections rather than substantial changes in shape or position. Which type is appropriate depends on what your teeth are doing now, so it is a conversation to have after an examination, not before.

Can I see what veneers would look like beforehand?

Raise it at the consultation. The equipment listed for our Kogarah surgery includes intraoral cameras and intraoral scans, so ask to be shown what your own teeth look like. Ask about reversibility and lifespan at that appointment rather than after treatment has begun.

Where to read more on this at Village Dental Kogarah

Reading about it only gets you so far. These are the pages that explain how our dentists in Kogarah actually treat it, and what a visit involves.

Village Dental Kogarah is at Shop 5/23-26 Station St, Kogarah NSW 2217. Eight clinicians work across our two Sydney practices, including a dental prosthetist — meet the team. We look after patients from Kogarah, Kogarah Bay, Rockdale, Bexley, Bexley North, Carlton, Allawah, Banksia, Monterey and Sans Souci. If you would like to talk it through, call (02) 9281 0007 or book a time online.

Book an appointment Call (02) 9281 0007 More dental articles

A note on this articleThis is general information written for patients, not dental advice for your own mouth. Teeth, gums and medical histories differ, and so does what suits them, so please have a dentist examine you before deciding on any treatment. If something in your mouth is painful, bleeding or has been knocked out, ring us on (02) 9281 0007 rather than waiting.