Veneers

Veneers are thin porcelain shells, made for you, that cover the front surface of your teeth. They can change shape and color at once, which is why people ask about them for chips, worn edges, small gaps, uneven teeth, or stains that whitening won’t lift.

They are also a permanent decision. Traditional veneers usually need a thin layer of enamel removed so they sit flush, and enamel doesn’t grow back. A tooth prepared this way will generally always need a veneer or some other covering. We think that deserves an unhurried conversation.

When we’d suggest bonding or whitening instead

If color is the main complaint, whitening comes first. For one chipped tooth or a small gap, bonding with tooth-colored resin can often do the job with little or no drilling. We save veneers for people who want several things changed across several teeth.

Picture someone, as an illustration, whose two front teeth are a little short and who has a dark spot on a third. Veneers would fix all of it. But if whitening plus a bit of bonding on the edges gets them most of the way there, we’d try that first. The enamel stays intact, and veneers are still an option later.

Planning, fitting, and checking the bite

Healthy teeth and gums come first. Thin enamel, active gum disease, or grinding changes the plan, and we’ll treat those before deciding whether veneers still make sense.

If they do, we start with what you’d like changed. Then we design the veneers to suit your face and smile, prepare the teeth, and fit the finished porcelain at a later visit. Before anything is bonded in place, we check how it looks and how your bite comes together.