Veneers Pros and Cons: Are They Worth It?

It’s common to feel self-conscious about your smile. Especially when our media channels are becoming increasingly filled with the white and shiny smiles of celebrities. Don’t despair though, as it’s more than likely that they have been able to transform their teeth after veneers removed any discolouration or crookedness their smiles may have had before. Made from either ceramic porcelain or composite resin materials, veneers are thin shells that are individually crafted and attached to the front surface of your teeth. This cosmetic procedure has helped many patients to reclaim their confidence while smiling.

But, are these right for you? And what should you think about when deciding whether to have them fitted? To help you decide if this dentistry treatment could work for you, we’ve laid out some veneers pros and cons in more detail below.

What Are Veneers and How Do They Work?

Before diving into the veneers pros and cons, it’s important to briefly outline what veneers are and how they work. As previously mentioned, veneers are individually-made thin shells that are bonded to the front surface of your teeth using a specially formulated dental cement. The two main types used are composite resin and porcelain ceramic. However, there are also additional — and usually temporary — options available like no-prep veneers and same-day veneers.

For some people, one or two veneers are fitted to improve the appearance of specific teeth, while others have a larger number fitted to revamp their entire smile. If done locally, the process of creating and fitting veneers usually takes a few weeks. If you choose to travel abroad for the treatment then it takes around five to 10 days.

Now that we have a good understanding of what this cosmetic dentistry procedure is and how it works, let’s take a look at some of the main veneers pros and cons.

Veneers Pros and Cons: A Snapshot

Looking for a quick and easy overview of the main veneers pros and cons? Check out the table below, in which we’ve outlined the main ones to look out for when it comes to embarking on your own cosmetic dentistry journey.

Veneers Pros

Over the past few years, veneers have become increasingly popular. This is hardly surprising — there’s a number of great reasons to undergo this cosmetic dentistry. Below, we’ve outlined some of the pros of veneers in more detail.

1. Quickly and Easily Revamp Your Smile

We can’t talk about veneers pros and cons without starting with their ability to completely transform your smile. They can cover any staining that has built-up over the years and replace it with a fresh, white appearance. This transformation requires little pre-op preparation or hardship from your side either, with only the shaving of your teeth being the important part to consider beforehand. While the creation of the veneers can take a couple of weeks, the bonding of them to your teeth only takes around one to two hours. Most people then enjoy an immediate new-found confidence emanating from their teeth, after veneers removed the issues that previously hindered them in social situations.

2. Inconspicuous Cosmetic Dentistry

Medical technology is constantly developing and veneers certainly haven’t been left behind. Dentists are now able to exactly match the enamel on your existing teeth when creating your veneers, meaning that your new veneers will look just as natural as any other existing teeth. Porcelain veneers are a particularly good choice for those whose main priority is a natural-looking appearance.

3. Stain-Resistant

If you’re interested in getting veneers to cover teeth that have been stained over the years, you may be wondering about their resistance to future staining. This is a big pro of veneers. Porcelain veneers especially are very resistant to staining. This is mainly due to the fact that they are ceramic, meaning that their surface is extremely smooth and difficult to penetrate. A common staining culprit such as coffee simply runs off the front of the porcelain veneer without leaving any obvious, permanent staining.

4. Durable and Long-Lasting

While they tend to be a bit more expensive — and a little more time-consuming to create — porcelain veneers are extremely durable, lasting for up to 15 years. The slightly cheaper alternative, composite veneers, also have an impressive lifespan of up to seven years. Whichever type you choose, you can be confident that you won’t be needing to visit the dentist for replacements anytime soon.

5. No Recovery Needed

The prospect of undergoing dental treatment can be daunting. Thankfully, you won’t have to worry about this when it comes to having veneers fitted. The process is minimally-invasive and in most cases, once you’ve had your veneers fitted you can head home straight away. However, you will need a post-op appointment with your dentist to double-check that the fitting of the veneers has remained stable.

6. Treatment Options Abroad and at Home

One of the great things about veneers is that there are plenty of options when it comes to choosing a high-quality dentist. Can’t find a good dentist locally? Then why not consider travelling abroad for treatment? Travelling to Turkey for veneers is one of the most popular options thanks to it’s competitive prices, highly-experienced dentists, and state-of-the-art facilities.

Veneers Cons

As we can see, there are plenty of benefits when it comes to having veneers fitted. However, for a balanced veneers pros and cons article, we also need to touch upon a few potential drawbacks that should be considered as well. We’ve outlined these below.

1. There’s No Going Back

Out of all the veneers pros and cons, one of the most important things to remember is that they’re permanent. Once your dentist removes the existing enamel so that the veneers can be fitted, it can never grow back. Your new veneers are then with you until they need to be replaced, which, as mentioned earlier, could be as long as 15 years later. Replacing veneers is a safe procedure that is similar to the initial one, where new shells are applied, giving you a new set of restored teeth after. Veneers removed by accident or damaged in any way can also be replaced with new ones again.

While it’s great that they’re long-lasting, this point could be considered both a veneers pro and con, but it’s certainly an important factor to think about before undergoing the treatment.

2. Potential Costs

Veneers costs have steadied in recent years. With that being said, pursuing that Hollywood smile doesn’t always come cheap. Depending on the country you live in, the price that you pay for veneers can be fairly high, with overall costs varying based on the type of veneers that you choose and how many you need fitted. This is where travelling abroad comes in.

Dental clinics abroad are often significantly cheaper than at home. This is mainly due to lower living and labour costs, which allow dental clinics overseas to offer the same high-quality treatment, at a more affordable price.

3. Eligibility

Unfortunately, not all of us are suitable candidates for veneers. If your teeth are weak — as a result of tooth decay, damage, a filling, or something similar — then you may not be able to have veneers fitted. Those who don’t have enough enamel on the surface of their teeth may also be ineligible for veneers. During initial consultations with your dentist, you will have the opportunity to discuss all of this, as well as any potential steps that you need to take to get your teeth ready for veneers.

How to Get Started

Having considered all of the veneers pros and cons, you might now be ready to move forward with finding the right dentist. We can do this together. Contact us and one of our Patient Managers will be in touch to get you started. Whether you book a treatment or not, we offer a 100% free, non-binding assessment. Your Patient Manager will then work together with you to find a high-quality, affordable dentist, based on criteria that matter to you.

Disclaimer

The information in this article is for educational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Always consult your doctor before starting any treatments.