Porcelain veneers
A veneer changes shape, colour and apparent alignment in one step. It is also irreversible, so it should be the answer only when whitening and bonding cannot get you there.
Tetracycline staining, an old root-treated tooth that has darkened, or enamel that has never responded to whitening.
Teeth that are too short, worn flat, uneven, or narrow enough to leave dark triangles at the corners of your smile.
A tooth slightly out of line can be masked. Genuine crowding needs orthodontics, and a veneer over it is a bad idea.
Two to three visits for most cases.
Photographs, a digital scan and a shade discussion. We agree the shape and colour before anything is prepared.
A very thin layer of enamel is removed, an impression taken, and temporaries fitted so you can live with the shape for a week or two.
The ceramic is tried in, checked against your face in daylight, adjusted if it needs it, then bonded.
Questions
Well-made veneers on a well-managed bite commonly last well over a decade, and often considerably longer. What shortens them is grinding, a bite that was never corrected, and gum disease — not the porcelain.
A small amount of enamel is removed and does not grow back, so a veneered tooth will always need something on it. That is exactly why we push whitening and bonding first where they will do the job.
Yes, and it is common after a chipped front tooth. Matching a single veneer to the neighbouring natural tooth is harder than doing six, not easier.
Porcelain itself does not stain the way natural enamel does. The bonding line at the gum can pick up colour over many years, which is one reason your cleaning appointments matter more, not less, after veneers.
In-office and take-home, supervised either way.
Explore →Chips and gaps, usually in a single visit.
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When a tooth needs covering rather than filling.
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Clear aligners you can take out to eat.
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The appointment that prevents the other eight.
Explore →Where to start, and what it costs.
Explore →Next step
The first appointment is an examination and a conversation. There is no obligation to book treatment at the end of it.