Sale Dental Spa
Veneers are one of the more visible things cosmetic dentistry can do, and one of the most misunderstood. This is what they are, what they involve, what they cost here, and when something else is the better answer.
A veneer is a thin shell, made of porcelain or of composite resin, bonded to the front of a tooth to change its shape, its colour, or how it sits in the smile. Veneers are used to:
A veneer involves preparing the tooth. Some enamel is usually removed. It is generally a small amount, but it does not grow back, and from that point on the tooth will always need a veneer. If the veneer chips or debonds in fifteen years, it is replaced rather than simply left off.
That is not an argument against veneers. It is the thing to understand before you agree to them. It is also why we would rather move a tooth into a better position with Invisalign first and then prepare less of it, than take more of the tooth away to disguise where it sits. If a course of aligners means the difference between a light preparation and a heavy one, that is usually the better order to do things in.
Composite bonding is resin built up onto the tooth and shaped by hand in the chair. It costs a good deal less, it usually removes far less of the tooth or none at all, and it can be adjusted, added to or repaired later. The trade-off is the material. Composite picks up stain and loses its polish with everyday wear, so it needs re-polishing periodically and rebuilding eventually.
Porcelain holds its surface better and does not need re-polishing in the same way. Either way, veneered teeth still decay underneath and the gums around them still matter, so check-ups and hygiene appointments carry on exactly as before.
Plenty of people have composite bonding first, live with the shape for a few years, and move to porcelain later if they still want to. That is a reasonable route in its own right, not a compromise.
It depends on the material and on how they are looked after. Composite typically needs replacing sooner than porcelain, and your dentist will give you an honest expectation for your own case at the consultation rather than a number picked from the air.
What shortens their life is predictable: biting ice or hard sweets, opening packaging with your teeth, grinding, smoking, and letting oral hygiene slip. If you grind at night, a guard is part of the plan rather than an optional extra.
Porcelain veneers are £1,200 per tooth, as a complete package. That covers the design work, teeth whitening, a Trial Smile that you wear and that we adjust until you approve it, temporary veneers while the porcelain is being made, and the final fit. There is no separate charge for the stages along the way.
Composite bonding starts at £300 per tooth. Everything we charge is set out on the fees page.
The Trial Smile is the part worth taking seriously. It is your chance to see the shape, length and colour on your own face, in your own mouth, and to change it, or change your mind, before anything permanent happens to a tooth.
Veneers are one option among several and they are not the right one for everyone. Whitening, bonding, or straightening the teeth you already have may get you closer to what you want with less removed. A good consultation should tell you which of those applies to you, including when the answer is that you do not need much done at all.
The Smile Design consultation is free and carries no obligation. Book online or call 0161 969 7464.
The Smile Design consultation is free, there is nothing to pay and nothing to commit to. Call 0161 969 7464, or book online and we will take it from there.
Book a Consultation