Are Dental Veneers Worth the Cost? What You Need to Know

Looking for a movie star smile? We’ll let you in on a secret: Those Hollywood stars weren’t born with perfect teeth. They cheat. The reason their teeth look so beautiful is because of veneers.

Veneers are thin pieces of porcelain molded to fit your teeth and remove imperfections. They are typically made of resin or other composite materials. Veneers are a method of cosmetic dentistry designed to change the size, color, and/or shape of your tooth. They can brighten areas of the tooth that have been discolored by root canals, fillings, or other dental care procedures. They can also be used to fix chipped or broken teeth. Sometimes we even use them to fill in gaps between teeth.

You can expect a veneer to last between 7 and 15 years. They run about $1,000-$2,000. Because veneers are a cosmetic dentistry procedure, the cost typically isn’t covered by insurance, but that may depend on the quality of your plan.

Are Dental Veneers Worth It?

We’ll be honest with you — dental veneers are not for everybody. They are expensive. And they are done purely for cosmetic reasons. Dental veneers do not improve the function or quality of your teeth, only the appearance.

Not that appearance doesn’t matter. Your smile is the first thing people notice about you — in job interviews, romantic encounters, even just socializing with friends. A beautiful smile can instill self-confidence. It can also open up a career, improve romantic prospects, help you feel absolutely wonderful about yourself.

Ultimately, you’ll have to decide yourself if dental veneers are worth it. Are you satisfied with your appearance? Is the price of dental veneers within your budget? How important is having a perfect smile?

Types of Veneers

There are generally 4 types of veneers available.

• Porcelain veneers are strong, durable, and stain-resistant. The beauty of porcelain is it blends in well with your natural teeth, so the veneer looks natural. It also lasts a long time — typically 8 to 15 years with the right care.
• Composite veneers look natural but can be prone to discoloration overtime. They’re advantage is they are cheaper, but you also get what you pay for. They’ll last about 5 to 7 years.
• Lumineers are a brand of veneers made of ultra-thin porcelain laminate. To be applied, they do require a very minimal amount of tooth structure removal. They have a shorter lifespan than traditional veneers.
• Temporary veneers are removable. They don’t look as natural prone to plaque build-up that may harm your gum tissue over time with frequent wear. We don’t recommend them for general use, but they work great if you want a perfect smile for a special occasion — say a wedding, for example.

Taking an Affordable Approach to Dental Veneers

If you decide dental veneers are for you, but budget is a concern, there are approaches you can take that ease the cost. You don’t necessarily need to have veneers on all front six teeth to produce the smile results they desire. Talk to your dentist about your smile goals. Perhaps fixing just a tooth or two would give you the smile you desire.

We can work with you. Though veneers are not typically covered by insurance, we could perhaps work out a payment plan to help make the cost of veneers more affordable.

The Cons of Veneers

Veneers can give you the perfect smile, but they aren’t perfect themselves. Once they are made, veneers do not change color overtime — unlike your natural teeth. This can lead to awkward appearances in your smile, though this can be counteracted with teeth whitening to keep the other teeth shiny.

Because porcelain is highly delicate, veneers are also prone to chipping and cracking. We don’t recommend veneers if you have the habit of biting your nails or grinding your teeth. You also shouldn’t chew on ice if you have veneers.

Veneers are also not the best if you have a history of weakened enamel, gum disease, or other dental conditions.

How We Apply Veneers

If you’d like to pursue veneers, we’ll first take X-Rays and make impressions of the teeth that will be getting veneers.

We’ll make the veneers in a laboratory, a process that typically takes 4 to 6 weeks. If necessary, we can apply temporary veneers in the meantime to correct your smile.

When we apply the veneer, we’ll remove a small amount of enamel from your teeth. We’ll clean, polish, and etch your tooth to allow the veneer adhesive to bond properly. Then we’ll apply a cement to the veneer and place it on your tooth. A specialized light will be used to cure the cement quickly, creating a bond. We’ll make adjustments as needed.

A week or so after we apply the veneer, we’ll bring you back into our office to see if the veneer needs any adjustments.