A veneer is a very thin facing of porcelain or composite plastic which fits over the surface of your tooth and is glued to it. They are used to improve the appearance of a tooth and can mask mottled or discoloured teeth, repair broken teeth, improve the appearance of twisted or misaligned teeth ,and used to close the gaps that can occur between teeth.

As the veneers are thin they are quite translucent and pick up some of the underlying colour of the tooth so it is very important to cut enough tooth away to allow masking of any unwanted stains or discolourations.
Porcelain veneers have to be made in a dental laboratory and then fitted and glued on to the tooth at a second visit. The advantage of porcelain is that it is very highly glazed, doesn't stain and is hard enough that it doesn't wear.

Composite veneers can be made in the laboratory and can also be made directly in the mouth - a one visit technique.

Their advantage is that the dentist can colour match directly in the mouth where colour is a problem or shape them to suit the appearance more easily. Their disadvantage is that they wear more easily. They tend to be slightly more prone to staining and usually require "touching up" from time to time.


Veneers look good, there is minimal tooth preparation and they are relatively inexpensive. They can last a long time without deteriorating and only rarely break or come loose. They would be the dentists first choice for improving the appearance of basically sound healthy teeth.


Experience has shown that they tend to work poorly in mouths where there is a lot of active decay or where oral hygiene is poor and they tend to come loose most frequently on teeth that have been root filled for some years. Treatment to improve oral hygiene, and a maintence program afterwards is essential.