Dental veneers

What is veneers?

Veneers are not one treatment. They are a family of them, and the differences matter more than the marketing suggests. A composite veneer is built directly onto the tooth by the dentist during the appointment, shaped and polished by hand. Nothing is shaved off to make room for it. A porcelain veneer is made by dental technicians at an Australian lab and bonded on afterwards, which is why it takes more than one visit. Porcelain and mixed-material work generally gives the most natural result, because of the way those materials handle light rather than because of anything written on a brochure. Some porcelain veneers are made thin enough to need only a very small amount of enamel smoothed from the surface. Those are the minimal-prep ones, and where a case suits them, the tooth is left almost as it was. Conventional porcelain veneers are different: they usually need a thin layer off the front of the tooth so the veneer sits flush instead of looking bulky. That is the line worth understanding, because enamel does not grow back. Once a tooth has been reduced it needs covering from then on, for the rest of that tooth's life. We hold a deliberate position on this. Aggressively shaving healthy adult teeth to fit veneers or crowns is not something we are willing to do. Our approach is conservative: where teeth are out of line, we prioritise alignment first, and only then improve the appearance with veneers where they are still needed. If what you are asking for would mean removing healthy tooth, we will say so and offer you the alternatives instead. Sometimes those alternatives are smaller than you expected: whitening changes colour without touching the tooth, bonding repairs a chip in one visit, and straightening moves a tooth into place rather than covering it. Veneers are also a commitment rather than a purchase. They need looking after, they can chip, the edge where they meet your own tooth has to be kept clean, and composite work needs polishing and occasional repair. None of that is a reason not to have them. It is a reason to go in knowing.

When might you need veneers?

• Discoloured teeth that whitening will not shift

  Some staining sits inside the tooth rather than on it, from trauma, old root canal treatment or certain medicines taken in childhood. Whitening works on the outside and cannot reach that.

• Chipped or worn front teeth

  Edges that have broken or worn down over the years, often unevenly, so one tooth looks shorter than the one beside it.

• Small gaps between front teeth

  Spacing can sometimes be closed by widening the teeth slightly rather than moving them, though straightening is worth considering first.

• Teeth that are slightly out of line

  A single tooth that sits back or turned. Covering it can work where the movement needed is small. Where it is not, straightening is the better answer.

• Teeth of uneven shape or size

  A narrow lateral incisor, or teeth that never fully formed. Building them up is often less invasive than it sounds.

• An old composite repair that has discoloured

  Composite picks up stain at the edges over the years. Replacing or redoing it is routine and does not usually mean escalating to porcelain.

What happens, in short

1. Assessment and photographs

   Teeth, gums and bite are examined, and photographs and x-rays are taken. Decay and gum problems are dealt with before any cosmetic work, because work bonded to an unhealthy tooth does not last.

2. Working out what you actually want changed

   This is the appointment that decides the result. Shape, colour, length and how much is visible when you talk and smile, discussed against what is realistic for your teeth.

3. Choosing material and preparation

   Composite or porcelain, and whether the case suits a minimal-prep approach. You should be told which teeth would be reduced, if any, and by how much, before you agree.

4. Shade selection

   The shade is matched against your other teeth in natural light. If you are also planning whitening, the whitening is done first, because a veneer cannot be lightened afterwards.

5. Placement

   Composite veneers are built up and shaped in the appointment. Porcelain veneers are made at the lab and bonded at a later visit, with temporary cover in between where the tooth has been prepared.

6. Review and adjustment

   The bite is checked and the edges refined. Say something at this point if anything feels or looks wrong: small adjustments are easy now and awkward later.

What does it cost?

Composite veneers at Y3 Smiles Dental start from $550 a tooth. Porcelain costs more, and both are quoted per tooth after the assessment, because the number of teeth involved and their condition change the answer. Nobody here will quote veneers over the phone. You get the quote in writing, itemised with item numbers, so you can check it against your cover before you commit. Health funds treat purely cosmetic treatment differently from general and major dental, and some veneer work is claimable because it is also restoring a tooth. Ask your fund about the specific items.

You get a written, itemised quote with item numbers before any treatment starts, so you can check it with your health fund. Health funds · Payment options

Do veneers mean shaving your teeth?

Not all of them. Composite veneers remove no tooth at all, and minimal-prep porcelain veneers remove very little. Conventional porcelain veneers usually need a thin layer off the front.

This is the single most misunderstood thing about veneers, and it is worth being precise about, because the versions people see online are often the most invasive kind. Which option suits you depends on the shape, position and colour of the teeth you are starting with, so it is an assessment question rather than a preference.

What is the difference between composite and porcelain?

Composite is built onto the tooth by the dentist in one appointment. Porcelain is made at a lab and bonded on later, and it generally looks more natural.

Composite is done in a single visit, can be repaired or added to, and removes nothing. Porcelain takes more than one visit, handles light more like natural enamel, and resists staining better. A case can also use both, with different materials on different teeth, which is often what produces the most natural result.

Why will you not just shave my teeth down?

Because healthy enamel does not grow back, and a tooth that has been reduced needs covering for the rest of its life.

We hold a deliberate position against aggressively shaving healthy adult teeth to fit veneers. That sometimes means recommending less treatment than someone came in asking for, or a different treatment entirely. If a case genuinely needs preparation, it is explained tooth by tooth first. What we will not do is take enamel off teeth that did not need it to make a set look uniform.

Should you whiten before having veneers?

Yes, where both are planned. Whitening goes first, the shade is left to settle, then the veneers are matched to the result.

A veneer cannot be lightened later. Match one to teeth you are about to whiten and you have matched it to a colour that is about to change, which leaves the veneer looking darker than everything around it. Raise it at the assessment so the order is set before anything starts.

How long do veneers last?

There is no honest single figure. It depends on the material, how many teeth are involved, your bite, and how well the edges are kept clean.

Composite can be polished and repaired as it goes. Porcelain is harder but can chip, and if it does it is replaced rather than patched. Grinding your teeth at night shortens the life of both, which is worth raising if you know you do it. Anyone quoting a number for veneers in general is quoting an average that may have nothing to do with your mouth.

What if you have had veneers done overseas?

We will assess them. We cannot promise to fix them, because where a lot of tooth has been removed the loss is often irreversible.

This comes up more than people expect, and the honest answer is not a comfortable one. An assessment will tell you what state the teeth underneath are in and what your realistic options are. Sometimes that is maintenance, sometimes replacement, and occasionally it is work that cannot be undone. You will get a straight answer either way.

What do veneers need afterwards?

The same cleaning as natural teeth, plus attention to the edges where the veneer meets tooth, and regular check-ups.

That join is where plaque collects and where a problem starts if it is not cleaned properly. Hard biting, opening packets with your teeth and chewing ice are all worth giving up. Composite work gets polished and occasionally repaired over the years, which is normal rather than a failure.

Symptoms that can lead here

• Stained or yellow teeth
• Crooked or crowded teeth
• Broken or chipped tooth
• Grinding your teeth

More about veneers

• What it costs
• veneers vs whitening
• What to expect at the appointment
• Aftercare and recovery
• porcelain veneers vs composite veneers
• veneers vs composite bonding
• how much tooth is removed for veneers
• Cosmetic dentistry
• Dental treatment overseas
• Night splints