Are you looking to improve the look and feel of your smile? Are you considering dental veneers treatment?
A dental veneer is a popular choice for many people looking to restore their missing smiling confidence with a smile makeover. Typically, you’ve got two types of veneers; porcelain and composite.
So, which one should you choose? Porcelain veneers or composite veneers?
Let’s break both down to help you make the right choice for your smile.
What Are Porcelain Veneers?
Porcelain veneers are wafer-thin shells that are designed to be bonded over the front surface of your tooth. The dentist would need to replace a thin amount of your enamel to give more room for the veneer to be placed. The objective behind porcelain veneers is to hide any niggling imperfections you want to hide, such as cracks, chips and stains. An additional note here, Veneers are different from Crowns but fall under the cosmetic treatment.
What’s The Procedure For Porcelain Veneers?
The veneers dentist will take an impression of your teeth to assess if your teeth are strong enough to withstand veneers. The dentist will take the images away to mould the veneers accordingly in the laboratory.
The dentist is required to remove a small amount of your enamel so that there’s enough space to fit the veneer to the front of your tooth. During the preparation of the permanent veneers, you’ll be fitted with temporary veneers until the permanent ones arrive. Once the permanent veneers are moulded, there will be another appointment where the dentist will cement the veneers in place and harden the veneer to the tooth with a special light.
What Are Composite Veneers And What’s The Procedure?
Composite veneers are designed to meet the same objective as porcelain veneers but are a cost-effective choice, particularly for minor chips and stains. With composite veneers, a tooth coloured filling material is matched to your tooth shade and applied in layers on the tooth surface. The dentist will first apply an adhesive glue to stick to the tooth for the resin material. Once that’s completed, the dentist will complete the bonding. The additional benefit of composite veneers is that the material used doesn’t need to be bonded to the whole tooth.
How Long Do Porcelain Veneers Last?
Porcelain veneers can last for up to 20 years with proper oral hygiene. This means looking after your veneers throughout your life by adopting the appropriate habits that cater to looking after your teeth. Composite veneers won’t last as long as porcelain veneers. They’re designed to last for a maximum of 5 years. Again, this is dependent on how well they’ve looked after.
Porcelain veneers would need to be replaced with new veneers if they’re damaged. Damage to your current veneers is irreversible.
How Much Do Both Types Of Veneers Cost?
An additional recommendation before having composite veneers is that you get teeth whitening treatment if you would like the composite veneer to match the colour of your teeth, showing off a lighter smile.
Composite veneers are a cheaper choice compared to porcelain veneers. Composite veneers cost for a single tooth can start from $500. Some factors can impact the cost because this isn’t a fixed cost for all. Therefore, you’ll need to consult your dentist on the other factors that may increase the cost.
The cost of a single porcelain veneer typically starts from $1,300 per tooth. Again, external factors will need to be discussed with your local dentist, which will likely increase the cost.
Get Veneers Treatment Today!
The types of veneers available should be discussed with your dentist so you can make an informed decision on the best choice of treatment for your needs.
Composite veneers are quick and easy. They’re also cheaper and reversible if they get damaged. Although, they’re susceptible to staining, and you’d likely need multiple appointments to ensure the composite veneers meet your tooth shade.
If you’re looking for a more permanent solution, then porcelain veneer is a great choice. They last long, are stain-resistant and look more natural.
