Porcelain Veneers: Process, Enamel Removal, Cost and Lifespan

A veneer is a thin facing made to fit one tooth. It covers the front surface and often wraps slightly over the biting edge. Porcelain veneers are made from dental ceramic, either by a dental laboratory or, in some offices, by a milling machine on site. The dentist attaches each one with a resin cement that is hardened with a light.

People commonly ask about veneers for:

• Discoloration that whitening has not shifted
• Chipped or worn edges
• Small gaps between front teeth
• Teeth that look uneven, short or slightly out of line

It helps to know what a veneer is not. It does not treat decay or gum disease, and it does not move teeth. It is also different from a dental crown, which covers the whole tooth and is generally used when a tooth needs structural support. Our overview of the dental veneer procedure covers the basics in one place.

The exact steps differ between offices, and your own dentist's plan is the one that counts. A typical course looks like this.

For a conventional porcelain veneer, the dentist usually removes a thin layer of enamel from the front of the tooth, often described as about the thickness of a fingernail. The space keeps the finished tooth from looking or feeling bulky.

More may be removed when a tooth is dark, sticks out, overlaps a neighbor or needs a large change in shape. The amount is decided tooth by tooth.

The points that matter most:

• Enamel does not grow back. A prepared tooth will generally always need a veneer or another restoration on it.
• It is not reversible. If a veneer later fails, the answer is a new veneer or a different covering, not going back to the natural tooth.
• Teeth can be sensitive afterward. Sensitivity to hot and cold often settles, but tell your dentist if it does not.
• Any procedure that cuts a tooth carries some risk to the nerve inside it. Ask your dentist how that applies to your teeth.

You may see "no-prep" or "minimal-prep" veneers advertised. These involve little or no enamel removal in some cases, but they do not suit every tooth, and adding material without making room for it can leave teeth looking thick. Whether that approach is an option is a judgment for the dentist examining you.

Before and after photos are the most searched part of this topic and the least reliable guide to your own result. A few things to keep in mind:

• Published photos are selected. They tend to show the cases that went well, in flattering light.
• Every mouth starts somewhere different. Tooth position, gum line, lip shape and bite all affect the outcome.
• Images can be edited.

More useful than a gallery is asking a dentist to show cases they treated themselves that started out similar to yours, and asking what was done in each.

Color deserves its own conversation. Porcelain does not respond to whitening products, so the shade chosen at the start is the shade that stays. If you want your other teeth lighter, dentists commonly suggest whitening first and matching the veneers afterward. Our guide to the best way to whiten teeth explains the options by type.

No photo, preview or mock-up can promise how veneers will look on you.

Porcelain veneers are often quoted as lasting a decade or more. That is a general figure, not a promise, and individual results vary a great deal. Some need attention much sooner.

Things that commonly shorten the life of a veneer:

• Grinding or clenching. Bruxism puts heavy, repeated force on the edges.
• Biting hard objects such as ice, pens or fingernails.
• Decay at the edge. The tooth under and around a veneer can still get cavities.
• Gum recession, which can expose the margin where veneer meets tooth.
• A knock to the mouth.

Porcelain resists staining well, but it can chip, crack or come away from the tooth. A damaged porcelain veneer often cannot be repaired invisibly and is usually replaced, which means paying again. Someone who has veneers placed as a young adult should expect to replace them, possibly more than once.

If a veneer chips or comes off, keep the piece, avoid chewing on that tooth and call your dentist. Do not try to glue it back yourself. Pain or swelling around a veneered tooth means being seen promptly. Trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling spreading toward the eye or neck, fever with facial swelling, or bleeding that will not stop means calling 911 or going to the emergency room.

Typical US ranges, all of which vary:

• Porcelain veneers: roughly $900 to $2,500 per tooth
• Composite veneers: roughly $250 to $1,500 per tooth
• Bonding: roughly $100 to $600 a tooth

Veneers are priced per tooth, so the number of teeth drives the total more than anything else. The laboratory and material, the region and the individual office all move the fee as well.

Ask what the quoted fee includes. Items that are sometimes billed separately:

• The exam, x-rays and any preview or mock-up
• Whitening beforehand
• Treatment that has to come first, such as fillings or gum care
• A night guard to protect the veneers afterward
• Replacements in future years

Dental insurance usually does not cover cosmetic work such as veneers. Coverage is a plan-by-plan question, so check with the plan before assuming either way.

The veneer cost calculator shows how the per-tooth range adds up across several teeth. The only real price is a written estimate from a dentist after an exam.

Dentists are often cautious about veneers in these situations:

• Untreated decay or gum disease. These are generally treated first. A veneer placed over a problem hides it without fixing it.
• Heavy grinding or clenching. The risk of chipping is higher. A dentist may want it managed, often with a night guard, or may suggest a different approach.
• Little enamel left. Teeth that are badly worn, eroded or heavily filled may not offer enough enamel to bond to. A crown is sometimes discussed instead.
• Teeth that are significantly crooked or a bite that is off. Orthodontic treatment may be suggested before, or in place of, veneers.
• Habits such as nail biting or chewing ice.
• Younger patients. Teeth and gum lines can still be changing, and a longer life ahead means more replacements.
• Anyone uneasy about a permanent change. The enamel removal and the ongoing cost are part of the decision.

None of this can be judged from a mirror. Being a candidate is a clinical question that only an exam answers.

Veneers are one of several ways to change how front teeth look, and a dentist may bring up options that remove less tooth:

• Whitening, when color is the only concern. See teeth whitening.
• Bonding, for small chips and gaps. It has trade-offs of its own, covered in teeth bonding disadvantages.
• Composite veneers, which cost less and often take one visit. See composite veneers.
• Orthodontic treatment, when the real issue is tooth position.
• Crowns, when a tooth is weak as well as unattractive.
• Leaving things as they are, which is always an option for a cosmetic concern.

Removable clip-on covers are a different kind of product with limits of their own, described in our article on snap-on veneers.

• How much enamel would be removed from each tooth, and is a minimal-prep approach possible for me?
• Are there problems that need treating first?
• Can I see cases you treated that started out like mine?
• Will I get a preview or mock-up before anything is cut?
• What is the fee per tooth, what does it include, and what would a replacement cost?
• Do you see signs of grinding, and would I need a night guard?
• What are my options if I decide against veneers?

The visit prep tool can help you put your own list together before the appointment.