Dental veneers

It depends on what you want to change. If the main issue is the position of the teeth, crowding, small gaps, slight misalignment, then Invisalign or braces move your own teeth into place without removing any enamel, which is the more conservative option. If the issue is the colour, shape or surface of the front teeth, veneers reshape and brighten them in a few visits, but they are a permanent change. Often the best plan combines the two: align the teeth first, then refine with whitening and, where needed, a small number of veneers. We will go through the trade-offs at your consultation so you can decide.

Veneers cover only the front of the tooth and remove just a thin layer of enamel, so they are the conservative choice and tend to cause less sensitivity, but being thinner they are slightly more prone to chipping or debonding, and they are less effective at masking very dark stains. Crowns cover the whole tooth, are thicker and more robust, mask dark stains better and give a very predictable result, but they remove more tooth structure. If your teeth are sound and you want a conservative cosmetic improvement, veneers are usually the answer; if a tooth is heavily filled, badly discoloured or under heavy bite forces, a crown may be better. Your dentist will recommend based on the tooth.

Porcelain and zirconia veneers commonly last around ten to fifteen years or more with good care, while composite veneers generally have a shorter lifespan and may need refreshing sooner. Care is much the same as for your own teeth: brush twice a day, floss daily, and keep up your regular check-ups. Avoid biting hard objects (ice, pen lids, fingernails) or using your teeth as tools, and if you grind your teeth at night, a guard protects the veneers. With sensible habits, veneers stay looking good for years; we will check them at your routine visits.