What is it?

Porcelain veneers are ceramic restorations which sit on top of your own natural teeth. They are secured in place by a strong cement which makes them strong and durable. They are versatile enough to allow for subtle changes like changing the colour of teeth, to more dramatic changes like making teeth which are crowded or crooked appear straight.

 

How does it work?

Although veneers sit on top of your own natural tooth, we do sometimes need to make adjustments to the tooth's shape and size to make space for them. The extent of the change will dictate how much tooth we need to alter in order to get your desired results. It is therefore often advisable to consider braces or aligners and tooth whitening alongside veneer treatment where drastic changes are planned. 

 

Why choose porcelain veneers?

Porcelain wears a lot better over time than composite bonding and will therefore require less maintenance. If you are wanting to go for that 'Hollywood White' look, they certainly provide a predictable way of getting there.

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With the new porcelains available on the market, it is possible to create incredible results whilst doing minimal damage to the natural teeth. If you have had years of traditional dentistry, veneers can bring the light and life back into your smile. 

 

Are veneers suitable for everyone?

For veneers to work, we need good quality health tooth to bond to. If you've got lots of untreated decay on your teeth and a minimal amount of natural tooth structure left, veneers are unlikely to work, and we may need to consider bigger restorations like crowns, bridges or implants. 

 

How long does it take?

Treatment time for veneers varies, dependant upon how many teeth are being treated.

Having veneers takes a number of appointments of varying lengths, initially to get your mouth ready for veneers and preparing a smile plan that you are happy with. This preparation phase  can take between 4-12 weeks, varying by what dental health treatment you need. On the day of treatment, your veneer preparation appoint will take between 2 and 3.5hours (this varies based on the number of veneers you are having). 3 weeks later, you would return for your veneers to be fitted and this can take up to 2.5 hours depending on the number of veneers being placed. 

 

How long does it last?

Veneers tend to last between 10-15 years before they fail. For some people this may be longer or shorter as everyone's mouth is different. Veneers do occasionally debond, and if this happens they can be stuck back on. With time, you may start to notice some staining around the margins of the veneers and choose to have them replaced. 

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Is there anything else I should know?

As beautiful as veneers are, it may be possible to achieve beautiful results with braces or aligners, whitening and composite bonding. It is definitely worth considering this route as once a tooth has been prepared for a veneer, it will need replacing at some point. That replacement will be bigger than the original veneer.