Ceramic veneers: what to expect from them

What a ceramic veneer is

A veneer is a thin ceramic layer that we bond to the visible front surface of the tooth. It addresses mainly aesthetic shortcomings — an uneven shape, gaps between the teeth, a worn edge, or a colour that whitening cannot change.

Compared with a crown it touches only the front surface of the tooth rather than its whole circumference, so as a rule less of the natural tooth is removed.

What a veneer solves and what it does not

A veneer is primarily an aesthetic solution. It does not replace a missing tooth and is not meant for teeth with badly damaged structure or large fillings — there a crown, which wraps the whole tooth, is the better choice.

We most often recommend a veneer for:

• uneven shape or length of the front teeth
• gaps between the teeth
• discolouration that whitening will not shift

How they are made

After the examination and the planning of the shape, we prepare the tooth slightly, take an impression and have the veneer made to measure in a dental laboratory. Until it is ready, you wear a temporary. Finally we bond the finished veneer directly onto the tooth with a special cement.

An aesthetic ceramic veneer costs 385 € with us, the same as a metal-free ceramic crown. The difference between them is not the price but the extent of the procedure — a crown deals with a tooth that a veneer is no longer enough for.

Alternatives when a veneer is not enough

Where the tooth is more badly damaged or carries a large filling, instead of a veneer we consider a zirconia crown (320 €) or a metal-free ceramic crown (385 €), which strengthen the tooth all the way round rather than only on the front surface.

The choice between a veneer and a crown therefore does not depend on what you would prefer, but on how much of your own healthy tooth substance is still left — and that can only be judged in a direct examination, if necessary with the help of an X-ray.

Which solution suits a particular tooth can only be shown by examining it in person.

How to care for veneers

A veneer is cleaned exactly like a natural tooth — an ordinary brush and floss or interdental brushes. The difference is what to avoid: biting hard objects, opening things with your teeth or long-term grinding can damage bonded ceramic before anything would happen to a natural tooth.

Ceramic itself does not change colour, but the cement at the edge of a veneer can stain slightly over time, especially with smoking or regular coffee and red wine. Regular hygiene appointments keep that margin clean for longer.

Where there is night-time grinding (bruxism), a night guard is usually recommended alongside veneers — without one the margin of the veneer takes repeated micro-movements that shorten its life over time, however good the ceramic.