Dental veneers can help you achieve a perfect smile if you have minor problems with your teeth, like cracks, chips, or discoloration. But what are veneers? Veneers are essentially thin covers that your dentist attaches to the fronts of your natural teeth to cover up any imperfections.
Veneers are, for the most part, a cosmetic procedure, and like and cosmetic dentistry, they come with their disadvantages and advantages. In this article, we’ll dig deep into dental veneers: what they’re made of, why you might want them, and what they cost. With this information, you’ll be able to decide whether this dental procedure is right for you!
Why You Might Need A Veneer?
There are myriad reasons why you might need dental veneers, most of which are cosmetic, but there are a few non-cosmetic reasons as well. Let’s have a look at some of the most common cases in which you might need a veneer.
Cosmetic Reasons
Fix chipped teeth
It’s quite common to have small chips in your teeth. They probably don’t cause any functional problems with your teeth, as long as they aren’t huge chips, but they can cause quite a bit of self-consciousness in many people. Veneers provide a quick and easy way to cover chipped teeth and regain your perfect smile.
Cover up discoloration
For most people, teeth aren’t a super bright shade of white naturally. If you do see someone with show-stopping white teeth, chances are they’ve undergone professional whitening treatments or have veneers. Whether your teeth are slightly discolored or very discolored, traditional whitening treatments may not provide the whitening you desire, in which case veneers are an option. Veneers are also used to cover up grey, brown, or yellow teeth in cases where a person’s teeth are too sensitive for whitening, which usually involves peroxide.
Fix tooth shape
For better or for worse, a perfectly symmetrical smile is usually considered to be part of the foundation of classic beauty. Many times when people have teeth that are too small, too short, or just a strange shape in general, they turn to veneers to cover it up.
Straighten teeth
Veneers don’t actually straighten teeth, and they should never be used in the place of orthodontics like braces or aligners as a quick fix for tooth or jaw misalignment. However, if you have very slightly crooked teeth that don’t require any orthodontic intervention, veneers can help give your teeth the appearance of being straight.
Non-Cosmetic Reasons
Restore enamel
Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the body, but over time it can be gradually worn away. Whether from acidic food and drinks or brushing too hard, the enamel coating can wear and make your teeth more susceptible to decay and sensitivity to hot or cold. Enamel is strong, to begin with, but once it’s gone, it doesn’t come back. That’s where veneers can help. When attached to teeth with an insufficient enamel layer, veneers provide a barrier that keeps bacteria and germs away from teeth, protects enamel from further wear, and keeps teeth from feeling too sensitive.
Repair cracks
Our teeth can develop tiny stress cracks in their outer layers, and while hardly noticeable to the naked eye, these cracks open a portal that exposes the inner part of your tooth to harmful germs and bacteria. This, in turn, can lead to decay and infection. When cracks are especially small, veneers can help seal them up and strengthen your tooth, so the cracks don’t grow.
Close gaps
Closing gaps in your teeth may sound more like a cosmetic procedure than a medical one. But the fact is, when you have gaps between your teeth, it’s easier for bacteria to create a home in the gaps and for plaque and tartar to set up camp. It also makes it easier for harmful bacteria to gather at your gum line, which can lead to gum disease. Closing gaps with veneers provide fewer places where bacteria can hang out, protecting your teeth from decay and your gums from disease.
Best Dental Veneers in the UK
Veneer teeth have become so popular that these days, anyone who wants to get veneers will have a variety of options to choose from. We’ll go over some of the most popular and best veneers options below, including budget options. That being said, please keep in mind that just because a type of veneer is cheaper, doesn’t mean you should choose it just for the cost. If you opt for veneers that are too cheap, they may end up actually further damaging your teeth and requiring you to spend even more money later on.
instasmile
This is a brand of veneers that are a type of clip-on veneers, meaning you can simply clip them over your teeth, no bonding needed. These veneers are advertised for people who only want veneers for cosmetic reasons, like stained or have small chips. However, some people choose to use them when they have missing, crooked, or more severely damaged teeth.
If you use these veneers once in a while to improve the appearance of your smile, they shouldn’t cause any damage. However, prolonged wear increases the risk that ill-fitting veneers could do more harm than good. Also, these veneers are not intended to fix any medical issues that require treatment.
To purchase these veneers, you simply visit the brand’s website and complete an online assessment to check if you’re eligible. To be eligible, you can’t have loose teeth, gum disease, oral cancer, or other underlying oral health problems that require immediate treatment. If you are found eligible, the company will send a kit to your home so you can make molds of your teeth. They will then use these molds to create your veneers.
If you read an Instasmile review, you’ll see that customers have mixed opinions, so you’ll have to decide if personally, this is the best choice for you.
LUMINEERS®
This is another brand of veneers offered as an alternative to traditional composite or porcelain veneers. People opt for these veneers because they require less tooth preparation and advanced dental work than their traditional counterparts, also giving them the name of ‘no-prep’ veneers.
The main advantage of Lumineers vs veneers is that you don’t need to have healthy teeth filed before placement. With traditional porcelain or composite veneers, your dentist usually needs to take off a thin layer of your natural teeth to make room for the veneers.
Another advantage is that these veneers, while they can last between 10 and 20 years, are considered to be semipermanent. That means that they can be removed without damaging your teeth. With traditional veneers, once you get veneers, you’ll always need veneers, since your dentist removed the top layer of your teeth.
This brand is also less expensive than traditional veneers, but in exchange for the cheaper Lumineer cost, they aren’t as good at hiding damage, nor do they last as long as traditional options.
If you’re interested in this brand, we recommend you consult a Lumineers review or two before making your final decision.
Trusmile
This is another type of veneers teeth can have that clip on to your natural teeth to improve the aesthetics of your smile. They don’t require any in-office dentist visits, as you just order your impression kit online to make your impressions at home, and then you receive your veneers in the mail.
Snap-On Smile
This budget veneers brand falls somewhere between traditional porcelain or composite veneers and teledentistry veneers. That’s because you have to visit your dentist to get them made. Many people are more comfortable knowing that their dentist makes their impressions and supervises treatment.
These veneers aren’t made for everyday wear and will stain if you eat and drink with them on. These are advertised as a quick fix for when you need to have a temporarily perfect smile.
Secret Veneers
These veneers are another type of clip-on budget veneer, but they make an effort to stand out from the crowd. The steps are the same as other clip-on, mail-order veneers, you take your impressions with a kit at home, send the kit back and receive your clip-on veneers in the mail. But according to their website, there are a few things that set them apart:
- They use the thinnest material on the market
- They were nominated for the Pure Beauty Global Awards in 2019
- They are featured on RuPaul’s Drag Race
- They make an effort to use less plastic packaging
Dentist Made vs Snap-On Tooth Veneers
Veneers can generally be divided into two categories, albeit with a bit of overlap: dentist-made and snap-on veneers or clip-on veneers. Typically, veneers that are made by a dentist require in-office consultations, are permanent, and cost more. Clip-on veneers can usually be ordered online, and shouldn’t be worn every day, but they are much more affordable.
Have a look at the following table where we sum up the differences between these two main types of veneers:
- Removable
- Affordable
- No teeth filing/shaving required
- No dentist visits required
- Only for quick cosmetic fixes
- Permanent
- Expensive
- Irreversible
- Multiple visits required
- Provide long-term cosmetic and potentially medical fixes
How to find the best dentist for veneers in the UK?
To find a dentist who offers veneers near you in the UK, one of the best things you can do is call around to trusted offices. Quality veneers can be a significant investment with potentially life-changing positive consequences, so it’s essential to research your dentists and the veneers you want thoroughly before you make your final decision.
How Much Does Teeth Veneers Cost in the UK?
The cost of your veneers will depend on your dentist, where you live, and the types of veneers that you get. However, to get an idea of what veneers cost, have a look at the cost comparison table below:
| Traditional composite | Traditional porcelain | Clip-on |
|---|---|---|
| £100-£400 per tooth | £400-£1,000 per tooth | £100-£1,000 per arch |
How Much Do Veneers Cost On NHS?
The NHS is not likely to cover the cost of your veneers as they are mostly considered to be cosmetic work. However, if veneers are considered medically necessary, it’s possible that the NHS could cover them. In this case, the treatment charge would be £269.30.
Alternatives To Veneers
There are many alternatives to veneers, which are often a better choice for your oral health and overall health. Look at some of the other options, depending on the issue you need to address:
- Yellow teeth: Professional whitening treatments, or at-home whitening strips and kits
- Cracked tooth: Crowns vs veneers should be used for substantial damage
- Missing teeth: Implants (preferable) or dentures
- Crooked/gappy teeth: Orthodontics like braces and aligners
If you have aesthetic dental problems that you’d like to remedy, veneers may be a good option for you. Traditional veneers can successfully hide tooth discoloration, small chips, or oddly shaped teeth. In some cases, they can also be used for non-cosmetic issues, like protecting weak enamel and sealing cracks so bacteria can’t get in.
There are also veneers that you can order online, which cost much less but are only meant to serve as a quick fix to purely cosmetic issues. We always recommend that you consult your dentist before taking any action that could potentially impact your oral health.
