What Are Veneers? Everything to Know About the Procedure, According to Cosmetic Dentists

Having a smile you love can quite literally transform your life, and countless studies and surveys have found that it can help you appear and feel more confident. It's no surprise, then, that dental veneers—custom and permanent coverings for the fronts of your teeth—have become increasingly popular over the years. Veneers can turn crooked, discolored, or damaged teeth into a gleaming-white smile in just a few hours.

However, veneers can get a bad rap. We've all seen people with artificial-looking teeth that sometimes look worse than their original smile. But that's true of any aesthetic procedure—people only notice the super obvious work. Like conservative amounts of neurotoxins and injectable fillers, good veneers are imperceptible.

What are veneers?

Veneers are simply new, artificial surfaces on the teeth, like tiny shells covering the visible part of each tooth. "The best way to think of it is like fingernails," says Jon Marashi, DDS, cosmetic dentist in Los Angeles. "In the '80s, you had these premade nails that were so big, thick, and obviously artificial, and now they make gel, which is so thin and low profile that you can't tell it's not your own nail."

Veneers can be either the former or the latter, depending on the skill and expertise of your dentist and the talent of the dental laboratory technician making the veneer. "When veneers are done very tastefully, the individual still looks like themself, just a more refreshed version—friends tell you that you look amazing, but they can't figure out why," says Dr. Marashi.

While veneers certainly impact the aesthetic of a smile, they're also helpful for improving function and comfort. "One of the major reasons we do veneers in my office is to improve people's bites," explains Stephanie Dumanian, DDS, cosmetic and restorative dentist and founder of Park Lex 60 Dental. "I have a lot of patients that have TMJ symptoms, and doing veneers on those patients can actually relieve those symptoms and solve a lot of bite issues."

What are the different types of veneers?

There are two main materials from which veneers are made—porcelain (also called ceramic) and composite resin. Ultimately, "differences in the material will affect the longevity, the stability, and the aesthetic of the veneer," says Dr. Dumanian.

Composite resin veneers

Veneers made from composite resin tend to be more affordable than those made of ceramic, which can save some money upfront if you're looking to totally rehab your smile—especially considering that the price difference between a porcelain veneer and a composite resin one can be several hundred dollars—but in the long run, choosing to be thrifty could cost you.

"Statistically, composite resin is supposed to last five to seven years before the material starts to dull, so then you're patching it up again," explains Dr. Marashi. Additionally, composite resin is weaker and more porous than porcelain veneers, so it is more likely to chip sooner and stain more easily—and no, you won't be able to successfully brighten them up with teeth whitening products, says Dr. Dumanian.

Porcelain veneers

There are a lot of benefits to porcelain veneers—they're strong, maintain their sheen and color, and, above all, look very realistic. Not only does the material inherently look more like an actual tooth, butthe porcelain has translucency and color variations. Dr. Marashi likes to use a material known as feldspathic porcelain, which he says could have anywhere from 20 to 30 different colors per veneer.

Experts handcraft the veneers by painting very thin coats of the feldspathic porcelain in multiple hues, then bake them to make the final product. "It's very time and labor-intensive, but it's what makes the tooth look three-dimensional as opposed to monochromatic in color," he says. Porcelain veneers are also quite durable. "I've had patients in my office that have had veneers for 40, 50 years," says Dr. Dumanian.

Who is a good candidate for veneers?

Many people are good candidates for veneers, as they can improve one's bite and smile. You won't be a candidate for veneers if you're missing teeth (in that case, you'd need an implant); some people will need a crown instead of a veneer. But in many cases, "a lot of people really benefit from veneers," says Dr. Dumanian.

That includes those who need orthodontic treatment, like Invisalign. "Invisalign will fix crookedness, but teeth can still be chipped and worn from years of sustained damage," she explains. (Ideally, you'll do Invisalign before getting veneers, but if your teeth move and shift after you've already gotten veneers, that's okay—you can do Invisalign on veneered teeth, notes Dr. Dumanian.)

You may also have a great smile that doesn't need veneers. "I've had some people come in [for a veneer consultation] with the most gorgeous factory original teeth," recalls Dr. Marashi. "I have to tell them, 'Don't—you're not a candidate, and that's okay.'"

What is the process for getting veneers?

When getting veneers, you should expect to see your dentist several times over a few weeks, from the very first appointment to your follow-up once your veneers have been installed.

Consultation

The first step in getting veneers is a consultation with your dentist. During your consultation, a good dentist will take time to really understand you and your expectations. Both Dr. Dumanian and Dr. Marashi look for the "why" behind your desire for veneers to determine if aesthetics, function, or both drive your goals for your smile. "Once I understand what a patient doesn't like about their smile, I can show them pictures of people with similar conditions," says Dr. Dumanian.

You absolutely can and should ask your dentist to show you before and after photographs of past patients whose original smiles are similar to yours. This will immediately help you determine the skill of your dentist: a good one will have a portfolio with a range of outcomes that look different, yet still natural. "You won't see similarities of shapes, sizes, colors—they're all over the map, but they look appropriate for that individual," says Dr. Marashi. "That's what makes this so fun—you can really personalize the smile for the individual so they feel more confident, which is what many people are trying to accomplish."

However, if you ask to see your dentist's work and see a cookie-cutter, copy-and-paste-type smile across every patient, you can expect to get that exact smile, too. That might be what you want, and if so, no judgment, but the best veneers will make you look like the best version of yourself.

Trial smile

To help patients understand what their veneers could look like, Dr. Dumanian and Dr. Marashi take pictures of their existing smile, then do a "mock-up" or trial smile on top of their natural teeth using a temporary material. "I add it to the teeth by hand, hand-sculpting each one, and look and see where we're at," says Dr. Marashi. "We do this to show them what the aesthetics would be like if the tooth were longer, wider, as a guide to educate the patient," explains Dr. Dumanian. The trial smile can help you identify what you don't like about your natural smile and how veneers could create more harmony. This will also help your dentist determine if they'll actually need to grind down your teeth to get the best look and fit.

This brings us to an important (and very common) question: What happens to your original teeth under veneers? Don't let social media scare you into thinking that all dentists will leave you with tiny nubs. That technique is outdated, yet admittedly widespread, especially in cosmetic tourism destinations like Turkey. Veneers can range in thickness from 0.5 millimeters to up to about two millimeters. "Those really cut down teeth you see on Instagram, are created by dentists who've removed one to three millimeters from the tooth to make room for the veneer," says Dr. Dumanian.

But if you have a smile that needs to be wider, tiny teeth, gaps, or other similar circumstances, there's no reason to remove fullness from the teeth. In fact, the less your dentist needs to drill, the better. "You preserve more of the natural tooth structure, and bonding to tooth enamel is stronger than bonding to a tooth that's been drilled down," says Dr. Marashi. This is why the mock-up is so critical—your dentist will know exactly where they need to add volume to the tooth and where they need to subtract to create your updated smile.

This is also when your dentist will work with you to determine the color of your smile. Remember, natural teeth have color variation. Veneers shouldn't necessarily be "toilet bowl" white, Dr. Dumanian points out. Just as foundation color isn't one-size-fits-all, neither are veneer colors. "Someone who is cool toned with fair skin, blonde hair, blue eyes, they actually can have a pretty bright white tooth color because it won't contrast poorly," explains Dr. Marashi. "If you put that same color in the mouth of someone with a warmer or olive skin tone, not only will you see their mouth from three blocks away, but their teeth will look blue-gray—they need to have a warmer tone in their teeth."

Diagnostic wax-up

Once you've committed to getting veneers, your dentist should offer a diagnostic wax-up—it may be part of their process or an additional service, but worth any extra fees. Dr. Dumanian likens the mock-up to an architectural rendering—not necessarily to scale and fully accurate, but an educational tool to help you and your dentist get in sync. "The wax-up is essentially the architectural plan," she says.

Using models of your teeth, comprehensive photographs of your teeth and face, and digital scans of your mouth, the dental lab will create a wax replica of your new smile, with the exact tooth length and shape, arch width, and bite you can expect from your final veneers. "When I do it, I ask my lab to use contrasting colors of wax so patients can see where the teeth have been added to, so they can understand the difference," says Dr. Marashi, "It's a great visual that can show the skill of the dental laboratory as well as the dentist's artistic design."

From here, your dentist will completely understand how much they'll need to remove from your natural teeth. Dr. Dumanian goes a step further and has her wax-ups turned into a prototype; she preps her patients' teeth accordingly and then applies these temporary veneers. "During this time, the patient gets to test drive their smile and change anything they want about it," she says. She uses an intra-oral scanner to take a copy of all the information and notes on anything she and the patient want to change, then sends it to the lab to create the permanent veneers.

Veneer application

If you're working with a skilled dentist and lab, you can expect your veneers to take about two weeks to be ready. "Even with the fabrication time, you get what you pay for—the skill, expertise, and precision of the dentist and the lab technician," says Dr. Marashi. (Don't forget, those feldspathic porcelain veneers are hand-created, layer by layer.)

If your teeth weren't prepped previously, your dentist will do it now. (Depending on your case, you may or may not need sedation; your dentist will administer a local anesthetic to keep you comfortable.) "We'll try on the veneer, patients will confirm they're happy with the color and aesthetics, and then we glue them in," says Dr. Dumanian. Once the veneers are glued in, the adhesive will be cured with a light, and any sharp edges will be buffed off. That's it! Your dentist will have you come back a few days later so your dentist can make any necessary minor tweaks and remove any stray adhesive.

Can you go back to your natural teeth after veneers?

If your teeth have been prepped and drilled down, "that's a one-way street," says Dr. Marashi. You can get new veneers but can't remove them and go without them. But if your teeth were left intact—what's referred to as a "no-prep" veneer—you can go back to your natural teeth, so long as you're seeing a skilled dentist to remove your veneers. "You need to have a particular type of laser—the laser's energy basically melts the glue and the thing pops right off—but they're costly, very technique sensitive, and not many dentists have them," warns Dr. Marashi. "The advantage of having it is safe and effective removal." He uses the LiteTouch YAG laser; after the veneer is removed, he can use special polishing products to remove any residual adhesive and restore the luster of your natural smile.

Speaking broadly, you should not expect to be able to go back to your original teeth when getting veneers. "I always like to say, 'If you're considering veneers, make sure that's what you want to do because while maybe you could go back, no one's going to want to'—it's a grueling process for both the dentist and the patient," says Dr. Dumanian. "But while I've maybe had people in my office that have regretted not getting more of them, I've never had anyone regret getting veneers."

What are the risks to consider when getting veneers?

As Dr. Marashi points out, cosmetic dentistry is "fun, sexy, and wildly profitable," so veneers have become more widely offered by more dentists, "but if they don't have the level of training and experience, it just increases the chances that things go wrong," he says. And things can go wrong—bulky, prominent teeth are only the beginning.

If your veneers fit poorly, you can get bite pain, tooth pain, and sensitivity, including hypersensitivity to hot and cold foods and beverages. Overdrilled teeth are more likely to need root canals; your teeth could literally just snap off. There's also something called "veneer breath." This occurs if the veneer isn't bonded and sealed correctly to the tooth, which allows bacteria to get between the veneer and your natural tooth, causing an odor that doesn't go away.

The risks can go beyond your mouth, too. "I've seen people come in just with the worst TMJ problems, migraine, headaches, neck pain that went down their back as well—really debilitating situations," says Dr. Marashi. The good news is that if you see a skilled provider for your first set of veneers, this can all be avoided—and, luckily, these issues can be resolved if you see an experienced dentist for a revision. "I've yet to have a situation with a patient, regardless of how severe it was, where we couldn't get them out of pain," says Dr. Marashi. The truth is, most people who are unhappy with their veneers got them from an unskilled provider, often in the name of saving money.

What do veneers cost?

The price of veneers can vary wildly depending on multiple factors, including the location of the dental practice, theskill of the provider, and the demand for treatment. In more rural areas, you might find a reputable provider charging around $1,500 per tooth, while a highly skilled provider in a major city like New York or Los Angeles could charge upwards of $5,000 for just one veneer. You're paying that much because you're paying for their expertise and the talent of their dental lab partners.

Meanwhile, you can find a full mouth of veneers for that price in destinations like Turkey. "You really get what you pay for," warns Dr. Dumanian. "You don't know what you're getting; you have no input into the design process: You show up, they cut down your teeth, you come back at the end of the week, you get your teeth, and whether you like them or don't, it doesn't matter, because you're going home—that's it." Lower prices on an aesthetic procedure almost always translate into lower skill, and getting treated by an unskilled provider will increase your likelihood of experiencing risks and side effects.

Final takeaway

Getting veneers can be a truly transformative cosmetic dentistry procedure for the right person. If you get veneers from a skilled cosmetic dentist, you can get a full smile makeover that looks natural and attractive—and, unlike any other aesthetic treatment, you'll be able to see exactly what your new look will be before it's made permanent, thanks to steps in the veneer-making process, like the mock-up and wax-up. Once they're in your mouth, high-quality veneers can last for decades.

If you've long been unhappy with your smile, you could be a great candidate for veneers. Just do your homework and spend some time meeting with dentists to find the right provider for you. "You must find someone you're aligned with— there are dentists everywhere that are going to do different kinds of smiles," says Dr. Dumanian. "Pick a doctor that matches your style." And if their prices sound too cheap, that's probably not a great deal, but a red flag.