Enhancing Your Smile With Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are favoured by many celebrities to create the perfect long-lasting smile and are quite often used to fix existing issues with teeth, including teeth that are chipped, gappy, overcrowded, discoloured or misshapen.

Veneers can be made from porcelain or composite (resin composite materials), however, porcelain usually tends to be the more popular choice for aesthetic reasons. They can improve the colour, shape and positioning of your teeth.

This guide answers some common questions asked by our patients who enquire about our porcelain veneers procedure, including the differences between porcelain and composite veneers, the benefits, what to expect and how much the treatment will usually cost.

What Are Porcelain Veneers?

Veneers are thin pieces of ceramic that are fixed to the front of your teeth and are most often applied to just the top set of teeth. They can give a natural and healthy appearance to your teeth and are held in place by a special strong bond adhesive. Even clients with perfectly healthy teeth may wish to have veneers to ‘upgrade’ their smile from nice, to perfect.

Porcelain veneers provide many benefits, including exceptional results, minimal preparation and they also conserve the natural teeth underneath. The treatment usually takes around five appointments following your free consultation at our Essex dental clinic.

With maintenance and care, porcelain veneers will last for many years to come and are an excellent investment if you’re interested in completely transforming your smile.

Veneers can also be used to close in small gaps in the teeth when orthodontics aren’t always the most suitable option. As an example, veneers can be fitted to bring one tooth into line with the others if it is even slightly out of position.

If you do have chipped teeth, veneers can make your tooth look whole again by covering the entire tooth, with a thicker piece of porcelain covering the section where the tooth has been chipped. This makes your tooth feel more natural against your tongue.

Many people have the misconception that veneers are oversized and feel ‘clunky’ in your mouth, however, this is not true. The amount of enamel removed from your teeth is very minimal as your teeth are designed to be the same thickness as you are used to. 

Maintaining Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers can last approximately 5-15 years and do not require any special care other than regular brushing, flossing and visits to the dentist. Depending on how well you care for your porcelain veneers, they may even last 20-30 years. Of course, aftercare is the most important step in prolonging the life of your porcelain veneers so we do recommend visiting your Essex dentist every six months for professional cleaning and have them examined once a year.

Similar to having natural teeth, we do advise you to take every care with your porcelain veneers and avoid hard foods such as toffee, apple, crusty bread, or nuts.

Veneers are also susceptible to tooth decay so it is important that you maintain your oral health in order to make the most of your veneers.

Are Veneers Painful?

No, having veneers fitted is not painful. Patients who visit other dental clinics for porcelain veneers often say that their treatment was uncomfortable as their teeth became more sensitive. However, we ensure that every dental procedure is completely painless using our extensive experience in dentistry and our investment in medical technology. 

We offer painless dentistry which is second to none to ensure that every patient is relaxed and comfortable for a positive dental experience. This is great news if you’re interested in porcelain veneers, but worried about pain or discomfort you may endure during the procedure.

Unlike other dental clinics, we take our time to make sure every care is taken to avoid you feeling pain or discomfort. We believe that a good dentist will try their best to make dental treatments as non-invasive as possible.

Not only can you enjoy relaxing spa treatments during your dental treatments, but you also have a choice whether or not you would prefer to use IV sedation if you do experience dental anxiety.

What’s the Difference Between Composite and Porcelain Veneers?

When choosing to have veneers, you’ll need to choose between which material to have, which are typically composite veneers or porcelain veneers. Whilst most of our customers do opt for porcelain, composite veneers are ideal if you have a smaller budget. Both composite and porcelain are effective in transforming your smile, however, which material is right for you will depend on some factors.

Composite veneers do cost less as they are easier and quicker to create by sculpting the shame whilst it is placed on the tooth. However, composite veneers are not as long-wearing as porcelain veneers which are much more durable and resistant to stains and chips. Porcelain veneers can last for over a decade when well maintained.

Porcelain veneers are often thought of as more natural in appearance than composite veneers as the enamel of the natural tooth appears more similar to the porcelain than the composite.

Due to the minimal preparation for composite veneers on your natural teeth, composite veneers are extremely easy to reverse if you ever change your mind.

How Much Do Porcelain Veneers Cost?

The cost of porcelain veneers depends on whether or not your natural teeth are chipped and if you decide to have the top teeth covered or both sets. Our porcelain veneers are priced from £769 per tooth. Please note that 0% finance is available with no deposit needed.

Get Your Perfect Smile

We will speak to you about both of your options and whether porcelain veneers are better suited to you than composite veneers during your free consultation.

From your initial appointment, through to the completion of your treatment and any check-ups along the way, we will guide and support you.

We also have an excellent selection of cosmetic dentistry procedures if you are undecided whether porcelain veneers are right for you. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us or call us on 01708 442 114.