Veneers

No, Veneers have recently gotten a bad reputation due to the rise of dental tourism and often veneers get confused with crowns or “turkey teeth”. Veneers require minimal preparation of the tooth’s enamel surface, allowing the porcelain to fit snugly onto the tooth. Think of a contact lens or a fake nail. Only about 15% of the tooth structure is lost during veneer preparation, compared to approximately 70% with crown preparation.

Every case is different, so we will know for sure after a consultation is done, but generally, veneers tend to be longer-lasting and offer a better aesthetic result. Veneers are great when mild misalignment of teeth and discolouration need to be masked. Since we can do a trial of your veneers, we can also design a new smile together and ensure you’re happy with the shapes and sizes before they’re made.

Veneers can last 15-20 years when properly maintained. Porcelain does not stain as readily as composite and is a stronger material. These characteristics mean that veneers require less maintenance and dental visits after they are placed.

Unfortunately, whitening materials cannot penetrate the porcelain, as it is not porous like tooth enamel. This means that once your veneers have been placed, they cannot be whitened. This is why I always recommend whitening your teeth first, before veneers are placed, so we can achieve your desired smile whiteness before creating veneers to blend in with it. We also don’t want any discolouration from under the veneers to show through, so whitening first is always ideal.