Dental veneers have become increasingly popular in the world of cosmetic dentistry. The wafer-thin ceramic or porcelain shells are carefully placed on top of your enamel. These teeth coverings give the teeth a stronger and more natural look. Even better, your smile becomes more vibrant and brighter.
In this guide, we will help you understand what veneers are, the types of veneers you can choose from, what they cost and finally, the various procedures to acquire them.
What are dental veneers?
Veneers are wafer-thin shells made of porcelain or ceramic material. The laminates are mostly bonded to the front tooth surface resulting in a more natural look of the teeth. They are majorly used for cosmetic purposes where they correct crooked and discoloured teeth.
Types of veneers
Dental veneers are majorly made from composites or porcelain. Each type has its upsides and downsides too. However, porcelain has become the acceptable standard for quality veneers that will give you value for your money. Here are some types of veneers that you may find on the market today:
- Composite veneers – These veneers are used to fix imperfections within your teeth such as chips and cracks on advice from your dentist. The veneers are crafted instantly while you wait to produce a quality finish for your tooth. These composites, however, do stain more easily. They might require a strict regime for good oral hygiene and regular polish to maintain. Their average life is normally 5 years making them low-cost dental veneers.
- Porcelain veneers – Porcelain has over the years been used to produce high-quality veneers with a better sheen, look and more natural feel of the teeth. These amazing tooth shells are created by special dental technicians in a dental laboratory. They might require a little alteration of your enamel which is ground down for them to fit. But the results are worth it. Being easily customizable makes them popular to improve your teeth’s colour, shape and look. The only downside, they are quite expensive.
- Removable veneers – Further advances in technology have led to the invention of snap-on or removable veneers. They are made from strong and hard dental resin and are pain free and easily removable. They can be used to cover up missing teeth or gaps, yellowed or stained teeth can also be addressed in this way. However, the structure of your teeth isn’t altered with this procedure and these veneers don’t handle more serious cosmetic problems such as crooked teeth, which need to be treated by an orthodontist.
Now that we have established the major types, let us now look at their impact on your wallet.
Cost of veneers in the UK
Improving your smile and boosting your self-confidence with veneers come at a cost. There are many factors though that may influence the price of veneers. This may include the types of veneers you want, the experience of your dentist and even the location of the dental clinic.
Our research has shown that a single composite tooth will cost you £100-400. For the porcelain veneers, they may cost from £550 a tooth up to a £1000. The porcelain is more expensive as it has a longer lifespan of about 10-15 years compared to composite’s 5 years.
Under the NHS, only in rare cases will veneer will be considered acceptable. If considered eligible under band 3 treatment, the writing cost is £256.50.
Procedure for acquiring dental veneers
One of the benefits of dental veneers is that they are custom-made to fit. This means you will have to visit your dental clinic a couple of times to perfectly design your veneers according to your facial symmetry and desired style.
However, at Angel Smile we use modern CAD/CAM technology to produce restorations on the same day for our patients. The Cerec veneers will be fabricated, bonded and adjusted onto your teeth within one visit to our N1 practice in London.
This advance will save you a lot of time as you won’t need temporaries – you simply come in and with our unique and effective same-day dentistry services you’ll be out in no time, sharing your new radiant smile with everyone.
Let us bring back your stunning smile with perfectly crafted veneers. Please visit our dental centre in Islington High Street N1 9LH, Central London. You may also book your appointment online or by calling us on 0207 837 3938.