Dental Veneers

Dental veneers can be used to correct a variety of cosmetic problems, including chips, narrow gaps, textural abnormalities, and crookedness. Tooth discoloration due to smoking and excessive consumption of coffee, tea, or dark cola is another common problem that can be corrected with veneers. There are two main types: porcelain and composite.

Composite Veneers

With composite veneers, a thin coating of resin and enamel is applied directly to the tooth. Your dentist shapes the composite to the desired shape, making certain to match its color to the rest of your teeth. This procedure can normally be accomplished in just one visit to the dentist's office.

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers typically require two visits to the dentist. Sometimes called "indirect veneers," they are made by first taking a mold of your teeth. Your dentist sends this mold to a dental lab, which creates a unique set of veneers for you. To accommodate the added thickness of the porcelain, the surface of your teeth will need to be filed down slightly. This is normally painless and safe, but structural complications have been known to arise if too much of the tooth is removed.

Because porcelain veneers tend to last longer than composite veneers (10 to 15 years versus five to seven years), they are normally more expensive. For composite veneers, you can expect to pay around $250 per tooth, while porcelain veneers will set you back anywhere from $1000-$2500. Both procedures are rarely covered by dental insurance.