Dental veneers are thin, custom-made shells that dentists can place on the front of the teeth to improve their appearance. Veneers can hide stained, chipped, and uneven teeth. For some people, having damaged or discolored teeth can affect their confidence or self-esteem. Dental veneers can help improve the appearance of the teeth.
Dental veneers are custom fittings designed to help hide or correct dental damage, including:
- Stains and discoloration
- Chips and small missing pieces
- Decay
- Crookedness
- Gaps between the teeth
Dental veneers help improve the appearance of a person’s teeth. They may be beneficial for people who want a long-term solution to persistent cosmetic concerns, particularly those that do not respond to other dental treatments, such as teeth whitening, braces, or retainers.
During the placement process, a dentist will typically remove a small amount of enamel, which is the thin protective outer covering of the teeth. Because of this, once the dentist places the veneers, a person cannot remove them or choose not to use them.
Types of veneers
There are two types of veneers: porcelain and resin-based composite. Porcelain veneers and resin-based composite veneers look similar, but there are some key differences. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), these differences include:
Porcelain | Resin-based composite |
more expensive | less expensive |
usually requires enamel removal | may not require enamel removal |
2–3 appointments | usually 1 appointment |
last around 20 years | last around 5 years |
will not stain | may stain over time |
less likely to chip or fracture | more likely to chip or break |
more difficult to fix | easier to fix |
Porcelain veneers
To fit porcelain veneers, a dentist will first remove some enamel and take an impression of the teeth to create a mold.
After this initial visit, they will send the mold to a laboratory that fabricates the custom-fit porcelain veneers. The dentist may place temporary veneers on the teeth while a person waits for the laboratory to make the permanent ones.
At the next appointment, the dentist will test whether or not the veneers fit and are a good color, and they will make any adjustments as needed. Then, the dentist will bond the veneers to the teeth.
Resin-based composite veneers
To fit resin-based composite veneers, the dentist will start by cleaning, reshaping, and preparing the teeth. After they prepare the teeth, they will bond and sculpt the composite material, adjusting the color so that the veneers look natural in the person’s mouth.
Then, the dentist will use a light to dry and harden the composite material. Once the veneers have hardened, the dentist will smooth and polish them so that they look and feel like real teeth. Medically reviewed by Jennifer Archibald, DDS — Written by Jenna Fletcher on May 29, 2020