Dental veneers in Cobham
Carefully planned veneers for changes in tooth shape, colour and proportion.
Veneers are thin facings bonded to the front of teeth to change shape, colour, alignment of the visible edges and proportion. They can look very natural when carefully planned, but they are a long-term commitment: most involve some preparation of the tooth, and they need maintaining and eventually replacing. Veneers are not right for everyone, and we will tell you honestly if a simpler option would serve you better.
Suitability
Who this may suit
- Healthy gums and no untreated decay — gum and dental health is assessed and treated first.
- Enough sound tooth structure and enamel for a veneer to bond to reliably.
- Teeth in a reasonable position; heavily crowded or protruding teeth are usually better aligned first.
- A stable bite, with grinding or clenching identified and managed — often with a night guard afterwards.
What veneers can and cannot change
Shape, colour and proportion
Veneers can change the shape, width, length, surface and colour of the teeth that show when you smile, and can even up an uneven edge line.
Planned before anything is done
We plan the design first — photographs, scans and, where used, a digital preview or trial — so you can see the intended result and give input before treatment begins.
Not a fix for everything
Veneers do not correct significant crowding, bite problems, gum disease or decay. Those are assessed and dealt with first, and sometimes a different treatment is the better answer.
Risks & considerations
Risks and important considerations
- Irreversible loss of enamel wherever preparation is required.
- Chipping, fracture or debonding of a veneer, particularly with grinding, nail biting or biting hard objects.
- Sensitivity after preparation, which usually settles but can persist.
- Staining of composite veneers over time; ceramic resists stain but cannot be whitened.
- Colour mismatch developing as adjacent natural teeth change shade with age.
- Gum recession exposing the veneer margin.
- Occasional need for root canal treatment or a crown on a prepared tooth in future.
- Replacement in due course, which normally means removing the existing veneer and preparing the tooth a little further.
Frequently asked questions
Neither is better in every case. Composite bonding is usually cheaper, quicker, often needs little or no preparation and can be repaired, but stains and chips more readily. Ceramic veneers resist staining, tend to last longer and can achieve bigger changes, but usually involve preparing the tooth and cost more. Which suits you depends on your teeth, your goals and your budget.
Most ceramic veneers need a small amount of enamel reshaped so they sit correctly and look natural. Some cases allow a minimal-preparation approach, and composite work often needs little or none — but that depends on your teeth and the planned design. We will tell you exactly what is required in your case before you commit.
Composite can pick up stain over time, especially with coffee, tea, red wine and smoking. Ceramic resists stain well, but the bonded edges can discolour and the natural teeth around a veneer can still stain. Neither material responds to whitening.
There is no fixed lifespan, and we do not quote one. Ceramic generally lasts longer than composite, but it depends on your bite, whether you grind, your cleaning and habits. Veneers do not last forever and should be expected to need repair or replacement in time.
How veneer treatment works
- 1
Cosmetic consultation
We listen to what you would like to change, examine your teeth, gums and bite, and take photographs. Any decay or gum problems are identified so they can be treated first.
- 2
Discussing the options honestly
We compare veneers with the alternatives for your situation — composite bonding, Invisalign, whitening or a combination — and explain the preparation, upkeep and cost implications of each.
- 3
Digital planning where used
Digital scans and photographs are used to plan the design and, where appropriate, to show a preview or trial of the proposed shape before anything is done to your teeth.
Paying for treatment
Finance options available
Practi
Finance options are available at Cobham Dental through Practi. Your dentist prepares a treatment guide, you choose to pay using finance and complete a short application. Our team will confirm the available terms, any interest payable and the monthly amount before you decide — finance is subject to status and to the provider's terms.
Finance options are available, subject to status. Ask our team for the current terms and a representative example before you commit.
Your options
Treatment choices we may discuss
Ceramic (porcelain) veneers
Made by a laboratory from a scan or impression and bonded to the tooth. They resist staining well and can look very natural. They normally require some preparation of the tooth surface, and are made over more than one appointment with temporaries in between where needed.
Minimal-preparation veneers
Where the teeth, their position and the planned design allow it, only a small amount of enamel is reshaped. This depends entirely on your teeth — it is decided case by case and cannot be promised in advance. Not every veneer is a no-preparation veneer.
Composite veneers and composite bonding
Tooth-coloured composite applied and shaped directly onto the tooth in a single visit, often with little or no preparation. Usually less expensive and easier to add to or repair, but it is more prone to staining and chipping and generally needs replacing sooner than ceramic. See our composite bonding page.
Combining with other treatment
Where teeth are crooked or discoloured, aligning them with Invisalign or whitening the natural teeth first can mean fewer veneers, less preparation or none at all. We will say when that is the case.
Important limitations
What this treatment cannot do
- Most veneers involve removing a small amount of enamel. Where any preparation is done, the treatment is not reversible and the tooth will always need a veneer or crown from that point on.
- Veneers do not last forever. They can chip, debond or wear, and they will need replacing at some stage — how soon depends on the material, your bite and your habits.
- Ceramic does not change colour or respond to whitening. If you want to lighten your natural teeth, that is done before veneers are made, and future whitening will not change the veneers.
- Composite veneers can pick up stain over time, particularly with coffee, tea, red wine and smoking.
- Teeth may be sensitive after preparation, and occasionally a prepared tooth needs root canal treatment later.
- Gums can recede over the years, which may make the veneer margin visible.
- We cannot guarantee an outcome. The final result is discussed and agreed at planning stage.
Alternatives
Other options we may discuss
Composite bonding
Usually less expensive, often little or no preparation, added in a single visit and easy to repair — but more prone to staining and chipping and typically needs renewing sooner than ceramic.
Invisalign
Moves your own teeth into a better position without removing tooth structure. Takes months rather than weeks, does not change tooth colour or shape, and often reduces how much cosmetic work is needed afterwards.
Teeth whitening
Dentist-supervised whitening changes the colour of natural teeth only, with no preparation at all. It cannot change shape or alignment, and existing restorations do not whiten.
Crowns or other restorative treatment
Where a tooth is heavily broken down, root filled or already crowned, a crown may be more appropriate than a veneer. This is discussed at your consultation.
Doing nothing
Choosing no cosmetic treatment is always a reasonable option, and we will never press you towards veneers.
Technology
What we use at the practice
iTero digital scanning
A digital scanner used instead of conventional impressions for aligner and restorative planning, with an on-screen simulation of the planned result.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Both ceramic and composite can chip or fracture, and a veneer can occasionally come off. Grinding, clenching, biting nails, pens or hard foods make this more likely, which is why we assess your bite and often recommend a night guard.
Composite can often be repaired or re-done directly. A ceramic veneer that has chipped or debonded is assessed — sometimes it can be re-bonded, but often it is removed and a new one made, which usually means a little further preparation of the tooth. Replacement is a normal part of having veneers, and is charged as new treatment.
The cost depends on the material and how many teeth are involved, so we do not publish a single veneer price. You receive a written estimate after your consultation, before treatment starts. Finance options are available, subject to status.
Only an examination can answer that. We look at your gum health, decay, the amount and quality of enamel, tooth position and your bite. Veneers are not suitable for everybody, and where something simpler would give you a good result we will say so.
Concerns this may help with
What patients come to us about
Related treatments
You may also want to read
- Composite bondingRepairing chips, closing small gaps and reshaping teeth.
- InvisalignVirtually invisible clear aligners with digital planning.
- Teeth whiteningDentist-supervised Boutique whitening, planned around your existing dentistry.
- Dental examinationThorough check-ups including x-rays and screening.
Not ready to book?
Our treatment coordinators can talk you through the options and costs with no obligation, or arrange a callback at a time that suits you.
Thinking about veneers?
Book directly into our diaries online, or ask us a question first — we're happy to help.