Porcelain veneers. Measure twice, smile once.

What are porcelain veneers?

Porcelain veneers are bespoke ceramic shells, roughly 0.3 to 0.7mm thick, that fit over the front of your existing teeth — custom-made for your mouth, not a stock shape pulled off a shelf.

The smile design stage

Every veneer case starts with a 3D digital scan — no impressions, no gagging. We capture high-resolution images, facial photos, and bite data, then digitally map how each veneer will sit alongside your lips and facial proportions. You'll see a mock-up of the proposed result before a single tooth is touched, and if something needs adjusting, we change the design first, not your enamel.

Preparation

Depending on the case, a veneer may need a small amount of enamel reshaping so it sits flush. Some cases qualify for no-prep or minimal-prep veneers, preserving as much of the original tooth as possible. Most cases use local anaesthetic, and you'll usually leave that first appointment with temporary veneers to live with while the permanent ones are made.

The lab work

Once the design is agreed, your scans go to our UK master ceramist, who hand-builds each veneer layer by layer — porcelain fused, glazed, and polished to mimic the translucency of real enamel. Every piece is checked under magnification before it ever reaches your mouth.

The fitting appointment

Each veneer is tried in and checked before final bonding, so you see and approve the fit first. Bonding itself happens under magnification with the margins polished and your bite re-checked before you leave.

Aftercare

Porcelain veneers aren't high-maintenance — normal brushing and flossing, a routine airflow polish once or twice a year, and avoiding pen-chewing, hard nuts, and ice. A quick check and polish every twelve months keeps them looking as they should for years.

What does the evidence say?

Porcelain veneers show 91 to 96% survival at ten years in the literature. Minimal-preparation designs cause less post-treatment sensitivity and maintain better gum health than heavier preparation, and longevity depends more on technique and bite management than on porcelain thickness alone.

How much does it cost?

Porcelain veneers typically range from £900 to £1,200 per tooth. That covers the design work, scanning, lab fabrication by a master ceramist, and the after-care built into the guarantee. It's a fair question why prices vary so much between clinics — real dentistry is closer to architecture than demolition, and rushing the design phase is exactly how an over-prepared, unnatural result happens.

Composite bonding or veneers — which is right for me?

Bonding suits chips, gaps, wear and minor colour changes, keeping almost all of your own tooth intact. Veneers suit a bigger colour or shape change, or where longer-term strength and colour stability matter more than minimal intervention. We'll tell you honestly which fits your case — sometimes it's a mix of both across different teeth. See our composite bonding page for the alternative.