Veneers, made of porcelain or composite resin, are very thin shells attached to the visible surface of the tooth. They are generally used to:

• improve one’s appearance, for instance by filling a gap between two teeth
• match up teeth that are slightly out of alignment
• correct the shape or colour of teeth

Porcelain veneers

It normally takes two visits to the dentist to complete this kind of restoration.

The dentist removes a thin layer of enamel from the teeth to be treated, and then makes a mould of your teeth and sends it to a dental laboratory to have customized veneers made. During the second visit, the porcelain veneers are glued to your teeth using composite resin cement.

Porcelain veneers have an exceptional surface and generally resist stains better than composite resin veneers.

Composite resin veneers

Composite resin veneers can be applied in just one visit.

Your dentist removes the visible external layer of the tooth, if necessary, and then applies and shapes a composite resin matching the colour of your natural teeth. A special light is used to harden the composite, which is then adjusted and polished.

Composite resin veneers are less expensive than porcelain ones.