Porcelain & Composite Veneers
A veneer is a thin shell bonded to the front of a tooth to change its shape, colour or alignment. The critical question nobody asks loudly enough is how much tooth is removed to fit it. A properly planned porcelain veneer takes 0.3–0.7mm from the front surface only. What circulates online as “veneers gone wrong” is almost always crowns — where the tooth was reduced on every side.
Veneers work well when
- Your teeth are healthy but chipped, worn or unevenly shaped
- You have gaps or mild crowding you do not want to treat with braces
- Discolouration that whitening cannot shift — tetracycline, for instance
- You want a change to the six to ten teeth that actually show
Do something else when
- Whitening alone would achieve what you want — it usually would
- The teeth are heavily filled or root-treated — crowns are the correct choice
- You grind your teeth and will not wear a night guard
- You have significant crowding — aligners first, veneers after
Your treatment week
- 01
Day 1 — exam and digital design
Full examination, intraoral scan and a rendered smile design. You see the proposed result on screen before any tooth is touched.
- 02
Day 1 — mock-up in your mouth
A temporary composite mock-up is applied over your unprepared teeth so you can see and feel the shape. Changes here cost nothing.
- 03
Day 2 — minimal preparation
Only the enamel needed is removed, guided by the approved design. Temporaries fitted the same day — you never walk out with stumps.
- 04
Days 3–4 — in-house milling
Your veneers are milled and layered in the clinic laboratory, matched to the shade you chose in daylight.
- 05
Day 5 — trial fit
Tried in with water rather than cement. Length, shape and shade checked in daylight and adjusted before glazing.
- 06
Days 6–7 — bond and review
Bonded, polished and bite balanced, then a final review the following day before you fly. Night guard supplied where indicated.