What are Porcelain Veneers?

Porcelain veneers are thin, translucent shells utilized to mask common dental imperfections, such as chips, cracks, minor misalignments, and gaps. They are state-of-the-art cosmetic solutions crafted using natural-looking porcelain, offering your teeth enduring beauty and structural support that can last decades. Designed to provide seamless improvement to your smile, the veneers are bonded to the surface of your enamel and custom-shaded to match the color of your surrounding teeth. For many patients, porcelain veneers provide exceptional aesthetic enhancement with timeliness and ease while sacrificing very little of the original tooth structure.

Why Choose Porcelain Veneers?

We have found that many patients who are self-conscious about their smile actually do not need to undergo extensive dental work. While orthodontic treatments like Invisalign® can help to close gaps and give you a more attractive smile, sometimes a dramatic improvement can be achieved by simply covering up uneven teeth with custom veneers.

Veneers are very thin shells that are bonded to the surface of the tooth. We can shape these veneers any way we like and create a beautiful new smile without the need for surgery — or long wait times!

Ideal candidates for porcelain veneers include those who have:

• Large gaps and spaces between their teeth
• Mildly crooked teeth
• Uneven teeth
• Misshapen or chipped teeth
• Severely discolored teeth

What are the Pros and Cons of Porcelain Veneers?

If you are a candidate for treatment, the benefits of porcelain veneers can be numerous. They are crafted according to your unique cosmetic goals and are widely utilized to refine the shape, size, and color of imperfect teeth. Custom-fabricated in a dental laboratory, your veneers will be manufactured with high-quality porcelain material that is resistant to staining and designed to mimic your natural teeth. Porcelain veneers can offer a range of benefits, including:

• Evens out smile
• Strong and durable (designed to last for decades)
• Stain-resistant
• Enhance misshapen or discolored teeth
• Custom-made to complement the smile

Furthermore, porcelain veneers treatment can usually be completed in as little as two office visits, depending on the specific details of your treatment plan. To ensure a comfortable fit, a very thin layer of your original tooth enamel must be removed to accommodate the veneer. Due to the tooth preparation that is necessary to achieve a natural look and feel once the veneers are placed, the procedure is generally irreversible.

Porcelain Veneers vs. Dental Crowns

The main difference between porcelain veneers and dental crowns is that veneers are used when a patient’s primary concerns are purely cosmetic. Rather than working to rehabilitate a weakened tooth structure, porcelain veneers are designed to restore the appearance of a healthy tooth by masking chips, gaps, misalignments, and discoloration. When there is no loss of tooth function or decay that should be addressed, porcelain veneers can be an excellent solution to enhance the aesthetic of one’s smile.

In contrast, our same-day dental crowns are utilized when a damaged tooth requires additional strength and protection. These “caps” are often made from the same durable porcelain as veneers, but they cover the entire tooth body as opposed to solely the fronts of the teeth. Crowns are often used to save a tooth from extraction, top a dental implant, or support a tooth after a root canal. Although both treatments can offer functional and aesthetic benefits, your needs can determine the most ideal procedure for your treatment goals.

What is the Porcelain Veneers Process Like?

The porcelain veneers process will begin with a thorough consultation with our cosmetic dentists, where you will discuss which aspects of your smile you wish to improve. If it is determined that porcelain veneers can effectively fulfill your goals for treatment, you will return for a secondary appointment in which your tooth will be prepped for veneer placement. Dr. Rallis will remove a minor portion of your enamel to accommodate the veneer, and subsequently send an impression of your teeth to an advanced dental lab. While patients typically report that discomfort during this process is minimal, our practice offers an array of sedation dentistry options to alleviate any existing anxiety and further enhance your treatment experience. Temporary veneers will be placed until your custom porcelain veneers are crafted. During the final stage of the process, Dr. Rallis will remove the temporary veneers and cement your long-lasting porcelain veneers to the surface of the enamel using a durable cement. He will then polish and refine your veneers to achieve the desired aesthetic outcome.

How Long Do Porcelain Veneers Last?

Porcelain veneers can provide very enduring results when properly cared for, often surpassing years—and even decades—of use with regular oral hygiene habits. Once the veneers are bonded to the enamel, they require no additional maintenance besides the care necessary to keep natural teeth in good condition, such as daily brushing and flossing, routine dental check-ups, and semi-annual cleanings. If clenching and grinding teeth during sleep is an issue, wearing a night guard can help shield your porcelain veneers from destructive pressure and further prolong their lifespan.

How Much Do Porcelain Veneers Cost?

Our cosmetic dentists understand that cost is a major consideration with any treatment or procedure. As a cosmetic solution designed to last well into the future, porcelain veneers can be classified as a long-term investment into your smile appearance. While the ultimate cost of treatment is unique to each individual, factors that usually affect the final cost estimate may include:

• The number of porcelain veneers
• The type of veneers used
• The placement location
• The degree of tooth preparation necessary to place your veneers
• The complexity of your treatment plan
• Applicable insurance coverage

According to patient reviews on RealSelf.com, the average cost of porcelain veneers is around $7,050, with the price ranging anywhere from $300 to $18,000. This number is usually influenced by the geographic location where the procedure is performed, as well as the expertise of the cosmetic dentist. After your needs are assessed in a consultation, our office will fully break down the price of treatment with you prior to starting any dental work. Our office accepts a variety of payment methods—including cash, checks, and all major credit cards—as well as an array of insurance plans. We also work with CareCredit®, one of the most reputable health care financing companies in the country. Please don’t hesitate to contact our office with any additional questions or concerns you may have regarding the price of treatment.

Are There Alternatives to Porcelain Veneers?

Our dentists understand that porcelain veneers may not be the best treatment for all of our patients’ needs, and we offer other cosmetic solutions to address the flaws in your teeth and improve your smile. Invisalign® clear aligners provide a discreet way to correct misalignments and gaps between teeth, with some patients finishing treatment in as little as six months. With the ability to straighten your teeth without obscuring the enamel, Invisalign® can inconspicuously achieve a more symmetrical and even smile for those concerned with positioning problems.

Alternatively, patients struggling with tooth discoloration can undergo teeth whitening for professional-grade results that are immediately noticeable. At Center for Smiles, we use the powerful KöR® teeth bleaching system to eliminate yellow stains and restore a lighter and brighter tooth shade. This treatment can be particularly amenable to patients who experience tooth sensitivity, as the KöR® system includes a desensitizing solution that can be applied prior to whitening. Ultimately, our dentists can listen to your concerns and help you choose the most ideal option for your goals. In some cases, minor chips and cracks in the teeth can be repaired with cosmetic bonding or tooth-colored fillings.

Additional Porcelain Veneers FAQs

Does insurance cover porcelain veneers?

Porcelain veneers are regarded as a cosmetic treatment that is not usually covered under dental insurance. However, every policy differs and a member of our team would be happy to check your individual plan to assess whether you would be eligible for partial or full coverage of the expenses. If not, our practice also accepts dental financing through CareCredit®.

How strong are porcelain veneers?

The porcelain that we use to craft your veneers consists of a high-quality ceramic that is among the most durable and long-lasting dental materials available. It is much stronger than other types of dental veneers, such as those made of composite resin.

Do porcelain veneers stain?

One of the primary benefits of porcelain veneers is the stain-resistant quality of the ceramic material. This generally allows our veneers to resist any discoloration caused by coffee, wine, red pasta sauce, blueberries, and other staining agents.

Can porcelain veneers be whitened?

The durable ceramic used to fabricate your veneers is usually too dense to be whitened with normal teeth bleaching systems. However, since they are often unaffected by tooth stains and remain color-stable, patients generally do not feel the need to whiten their porcelain veneers.

Are porcelain veneers reversible?

The tooth preparation required before treatment includes removing a small amount of enamel to accommodate placement of the veneers. Therefore, the outcome of the porcelain veneers procedure is irreversible. Fortunately, porcelain veneers maintain very high patient satisfaction rates and most individuals wonder why they never pursued treatment sooner.