COSMETIC AND AESTHETIC DENTISTRY
A natural-looking smile, designed around your face.
Veneers are thin, custom-made shells bonded to the front of teeth to improve their colour, shape, size and alignment. Together with bonding, whitening and ceramic crowns, they can refine your smile while keeping it healthy and natural.
See a preview of your new smile before any tooth is changed.
Shaped and shaded to suit your smile.
THE IDEA IN ONE PICTURE
A veneer covers only the visible front of a tooth, often less than a millimetre thick. It can hide stains, rebuild chipped or worn edges, close small gaps and even out the shape of your front teeth. Each veneer is designed for your face and smile line, and matched in shade so it blends with the teeth around it.
For porcelain veneers, a thin layer of enamel is usually removed, so the treatment is generally permanent. Suitability is decided only after examination.
Illustrative concept of veneers.
Veneers and related treatments are mainly used to change how teeth look, while keeping them strong and healthy. These are the common reasons people consider them.
Deep or uneven discolouration from medicines, injury, old fillings or developmental marks.
Small breaks along the biting edge of the front teeth, from a knock or biting something hard.
Spaces between the front teeth that you would like closed without braces.
Edges worn down by grinding or acid, making teeth look shorter or older.
Teeth that are narrow, pointed or uneven in size compared with their neighbours.
Slight overlaps or rotations, when orthodontic treatment is not wanted or not needed.
Healthy foundations come first. Cosmetic work lasts best on healthy teeth and gums, so any decay or gum disease is treated before veneers are made. If you grind your teeth heavily, this is planned for too. A chipped tooth with pain, or a knock to the front teeth, should be seen promptly.
A natural-looking smile depends on more than the teeth alone. Your dentist looks at:
Veneers are not always the best answer. Sometimes whitening, bonding or orthodontics gives a better result with less change to your teeth.
Cosmetic restorations range from minimal, reversible treatments to custom-made porcelain. Several may be combined, and the choice is made only after assessment.
A thin layer of enamel is removed, the teeth are recorded, and custom ceramic shells are made by a dental laboratory. They are then bonded firmly to the front of the teeth.
For larger changes in colour, shape or size across several front teeth. Porcelain resists staining and keeps its finish well, but the change to the teeth is generally permanent.
Tooth-coloured composite resin is built up in layers directly on the teeth, shaped and polished, usually in a single visit with little or no removal of enamel.
For moderate changes when you would like a more conservative or lower-cost option. Composite can stain or chip over time, but it is easy to repair and polish.
A dentist-supervised whitening gel lightens the natural colour of your teeth, either in the clinic, at home with custom trays, or both.
For general yellowing or staining of healthy teeth, and often before veneers or bonding so new work can match the lighter shade. Fillings and crowns do not change colour, and temporary sensitivity is common.
A small amount of composite is added to repair a chip, reshape an edge or close a small gap, without covering the whole front of the tooth.
For small, localised improvements to one or two teeth. It is quick, usually needs no anaesthesia, and keeps almost all of your natural tooth.
The whole tooth is covered with a tooth-coloured ceramic crown, made to match the veneers or natural teeth beside it.
For front teeth that are heavily filled, root canal treated or too weak for a veneer, where a stronger, full-coverage restoration is needed.
A small amount of gum is gently reshaped so the gum line is even and the teeth show in better proportion.
When an uneven or high gum line makes teeth look short or uneven, often as part of a wider smile plan. Your gum and bone health is checked first.
Your teeth, gums and bite are examined, and photographs and scans are taken. You talk through what you would like to change.
Your new smile is planned and, where possible, tried in your mouth as a temporary mock-up so you can see it before any tooth is changed.
For porcelain veneers, a thin layer of enamel is removed under local anaesthesia, the teeth are recorded, and temporaries are placed.
The veneers are tried in, checked with you for shade and shape, then bonded in place, polished and checked against your bite.
Porcelain veneers usually need two or three visits over a few weeks. Bonding and composite veneers can often be completed in one visit.
The aim is a smile that looks natural and suits your face, not one that looks obviously done. Your care is planned so you are part of every decision:
Photographs on this page are illustrative and do not show clinic patients or results.
Porcelain veneers usually need a thin layer of enamel removed so they sit naturally, and this cannot be reversed. Composite veneers and bonding often need little or no removal. Your dentist will explain how much of your tooth would be changed before you decide.
With good care, porcelain veneers often last many years, commonly ten or more. Composite veneers usually need more maintenance and replacement sooner. Grinding, biting hard objects and gum health all affect how long they last.
Well-planned veneers are shaped and shaded to suit your face and the teeth around them. A preview or trial smile lets you see and adjust the design before the final veneers are made.
No. Veneers, crowns and fillings do not change colour with whitening. If you would like brighter teeth overall, whitening is usually done first so the veneers can be matched to the new shade.
Teeth are numbed with local anaesthesia whenever they are prepared, so most people feel only pressure. Some sensitivity for a few days afterwards is normal and usually settles on its own.
Braces or aligners move your natural teeth without changing their surface, and are often better for crowding or bite problems. Veneers change the shape and colour of teeth and suit mild unevenness. Your dentist will explain which gives the best result for your smile.
Often yes, with extra planning. Heavy grinding can chip or loosen veneers, so a night guard is usually recommended and the material and design are chosen with your bite in mind.
BOOK A CONSULTATION
A smile consultation shows what can be improved and which treatments suit your teeth. You will leave with a clear plan, the options and their trade-offs, the expected visits and an estimate, with no pressure to start.
Chipped a front tooth? Call and we will try to see you as soon as possible.
