The fact that Lumineers ® veneers can be fabricated so they are ultra-thin makes it possible that the dentist placing these veneers might be able to do so using the "no drilling, no shots" protocol advocated by the Den-Mat Corporation (the company that makes Lumineers ® veneers). This approach, however, is not appropriate in all cases. Determining if the precise situation you present is an appropriate one for utilizing Lumineers ® "no drilling, no shots" technique is a judgement call that only your dentist can make.
It's not so much that the dentist needs to determine if it is physically possible to use this technique because in theory you could bond a Lumineers ® veneer directly to almost any tooth. The judgement required really lies in determining if using "no drilling, no shots" Lumineers ® technique can provide the best (or even suitable) results in regards to issues associated with cosmetic appearance, function, and dental health.
When a dentist is considering using "no drilling" protocol with Lumineers ® veneers they are looking for a situation where the additional bulk that the veneers will add to the teeth will be an asset rather than have potential to create problems. Teeth that are relatively small or undersized can be good candidates for Lumineers ® veneers. This includes situations where teeth have gaps between them. Teeth that are tipped back or inward (as opposed to being flared out or bucked) can typically handle the extra thickness of the Lumineers ® veneers favorably.
People who have relatively straight teeth that only require a slight color change or minor cosmetic enhancements can be candidates for "no drilling" Lumineers ® veneers. More so with this situation however, there is potential that the person's smile will seem more "toothy" (fuller) than it was before due to the extra bulk the Lumineers ® veneers will add to each tooth.
Even in those cases where a person seems to meet the criteria for being an acceptable candidate for "no drilling, no shots" Lumineers ® veneers placement your dentist may still have hesitations. Although much of what we mention here is often simply a matter of individual taste, or only noticeable to people who (like dentists) closely scrutinize the appearance of teeth, they can be valid concerns.
One criticism of "no drilling" technique Lumineers ® veneers placement that you sometimes hear is that the end result is too toothy (too bulky) looking. The reason for this is simple. If you take a tooth and without first trimming back its surface you bond a Lumineers ® veneer onto it the overall size of the tooth will be larger, no matter how minimally.
At this point a question needs to be asked. Will the extra bulk of the Lumineers ® veneer be problematic from either a cosmetic, functional, or a dental health standpoint? The answer to this question is that it doesn't have to be but it can. We address issues associated with these types of concerns on our next page.
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