If your teeth are chipped, uneven, or don’t respond well to whitening products, you may be considering veneers as an option. Porcelain veneers are thin shells of porcelain that are permanently bonded to the surface of your teeth. You can think of them as similar to how a false nail sits over a natural nail, except veneers are much stronger and designed to last for many years. One of the most common concerns people have about porcelain veneers is whether the procedure causes damage to the underlying teeth. It’s an important question, and understanding the process can help you make an informed decision.
You can do a lot with veneers. You can change the shape of the tooth, make it bigger or smaller, or change the colour. You can get a veneer for just one tooth (let’s say you tripped and fell when you were little and now it has a gray cast to it) or multiple teeth. You also have the option to get either partial (they don’t cover your entire tooth) or full (they cover the entire front of your tooth) veneers—it really just depends on your needs and budget.
Veneers are a multi-step process that’s often spread out over a few appointments, but the results are definitely worth the extra time. It starts with a cosmetic consultation with your cosmetic dentist Dr Shawn Rama (me). Once you commit to your veneer plan and figure out how many you need, more molds, X-rays, and photographs are taken. Then, you come back for preparation of your teeth for the veneers (prep stage).
Prepping your teeth for porcelain veneers
It’s the veneers prep stage that may worry people. The teeth might need to be shaved down during the prep stage, but it really just depends on your specific situation. I would say ninety-nine percent of the time, I don’t need to shave away more than 0.2 to 0.5 millimetres to gain all of these ‘before-and-after’s’ you see, (In case you’re now reaching for a ruler, 0.5 millimetres is about the thickness of your fingernail.)
The whole crux of what makes the teeth I do different than most is that I’m designing the final smile before I even start. That allows me to be super minimal when it comes to what I have to do to prep the teeth. For example, if you come in with large, grey-looking, crooked teeth, that’s when we’d really have to shave the teeth down to get the look you might want. But if you have short teeth and gaps in between your teeth, we won’t have to do as much prep or shaving.
I also have the added benefit of an in-house ceramist. This allows us to work closely together throughout the process to achieve the best outcome for each client. With only a very small reduction of tooth, our ceramist can design and create a veneer that looks natural and fits seamlessly, all while using the minimal amount of space required.
If you’ve done your fair share of Googling, you might have stumbled across a no-prep version called Lumineers and wondered what the deal is. Lumineers is a specific type of semi-permanent veneer. It is a potentially more affordable option—because these don’t last as long as traditional porcelain veneers. Lumineers don’t require prep (there’s no shaving down of the teeth first), but not everyone is a candidate. Also, not every dentist offers this product, so you’ll want to check with your specific dentist, first.
How long do porcelain veneers last?
Porcelain veneers are permanent, but they’re not forever. Veneers that are well done could last for about 15 to 20 years, at which point they’ll need to be replaced.
To replace veneers, you drill off the old veneer, and start the new process over. Don’t worry, you don’t lose more of your natural tooth when they take the old ones off. Dentists typically wear microscopic glasses to make sure they’re not drilling into the natural tooth.
Veneers (whether they fully or partially cover the teeth) are not a set-it-and-forget-it kind of procedure. Not only can you get cavities where the veneer isn’t covering the tooth, but you can also get cavities underneath them. So you’ll need to really take care of them to ensure they last as long as possible.
How can I fix my teeth without veneers?
Depending on what it is you’re trying to address, alternate options are orthodontics (braces or Invisalign) or teeth whitening. For a more affordable type of veneer, you could also try composite instead of porcelain, also called resin bonding.
For resin bonding, the dentist uses a composite material (the same type used for fillings) to carefully reshape the teeth. The outcome of composite veneers depends greatly on the skill and technique of the dentist, as they are sculpted directly onto the tooth. Compared to porcelain veneers, composite veneers are more prone to staining over time and typically do not offer the same level of durability or natural appearance.
As is the case before any irreversible treatment, talk things over first during a professional consultation. Your dentist can go over the pros and cons of getting veneers so you can fully understand what you’re getting yourself into.
Results, potential risks, complications, and recovery times can differ for each individual and each procedure. Any dental procedure carries risks and benefits. Refer to thedentalroom.com.au/risks for more information on risks and potential complications.
Before starting any treatment, we recommend seeking independent advice from an AHPRA-registered health practitioner and considering a second opinion. This content is intended for adults, is general in nature, and should not be regarded as medical advice. Individual results cannot be guaranteed.
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NEXT: How Facial Structure Impacts Your Veneers Smile Design
About Dr Shawn Rama
Dr Shawn Rama is the Principal Dentist and Founder of The Dental Room, with more than 20 years of experience in general and aesthetic dentistry. He graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2003 and has undertaken further training in aesthetic dentistry, complex restorative dentistry and dental implants. Dr Shawn is also an accredited Invisalign® Platinum Provider and a member of the Australian Dental Association. He founded The Dental Room in Balwyn North in 2016, creating a boutique practice centred around personalised, considered dental care.
