Veneers
A veneer is a thin shell bonded to the front of a tooth to correct its colour, its shape or the gap beside it. It comes in two materials: porcelain, made in a laboratory, and composite, built directly on the tooth. Each has its place, and the choice starts from your tooth, not from an advertisement.
A veneer treats what shows in the smile: a colour that does not respond to whitening, a chipped edge, a tooth shorter than its neighbours, a small gap between two teeth, or an uneven shape. It does not treat large decay or a weak tooth; those need other solutions.
Three things decide the material: the size of the change wanted, how much healthy tooth remains, and what you want in lifespan and appearance against the time and care you are ready to give.
After the tooth is prepared, a digital scan of the mouth is taken and the veneer is made in the laboratory to a set thickness, shape and colour, then bonded to the tooth with a light-cured adhesive. The surface of porcelain is glassy and sealed, so it does not absorb coffee and tea and does not change colour over time as some materials do.
The price of that is at least two visits, and limited room for adjustment after bonding. That is why porcelain is preceded by a design stage you see on screen and in your mouth before bonding.
Composite is a resin placed layer by layer on the tooth and shaped by hand in the same visit, then polished. The result is ready in one visit, and it can be repaired or adjusted later in the mouth without removal.
On the other hand its surface is less hard than porcelain, so over the years it tends to lose its shine and to stain at the edges of the layers, especially with smoking and coffee. Its shape also depends heavily on the dentist's hand in that one visit.
Both types need brushing and flossing like natural teeth, no biting hard objects with the front teeth, and a night guard for anyone who grinds. Porcelain usually keeps its appearance longer; composite needs periodic polishing and may need repair or renewal sooner.
No dentist can promise a number of years for either. What shortens the lifespan is known: a heavy bite, grinding, smoking, and skipped follow-ups.
The examination establishes how much enamel remains, the health of the gum and the bite. Then the change you want is discussed and matched: composite for a small correction on one or two teeth and for anyone who prefers one visit and the option to adjust, porcelain for a wider change and for anyone who wants stable colour and a lasting look. Sometimes composite is suggested as a temporary trial of the shape before moving to porcelain.
Composite usually costs less because it is done in one visit without a laboratory, and porcelain usually lasts longer and keeps its colour. The actual cost is set after the examination in a written plan.
Usually yes. The composite is removed and the tooth is prepared for porcelain. This is a common path for someone who started with a small correction and then wanted a more lasting result.
Yes, in selected cases: small teeth, teeth with gaps, or teeth tilted inward. In others, skipping the preparation gives teeth that look thicker than natural and edges where plaque collects. The examination decides.
The information in this article is general education and does not replace a clinical examination. Every treatment plan is set after assessment at the clinic.
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