Veneers, Step by Step

How Do Porcelain Veneers Work, Visit by Visit?

Getting porcelain veneers is a sequence of planned stages rather than a single procedure. You'll usually have five or six appointments over about six to ten weeks: records and consultation, smile design, a trial smile, preparation with temporary veneers, try-in and bonding, then a review. It takes longer if other treatment needs to come first, such as whitening, fillings or gum care.

The order matters. Every decision about shape, length and colour is made and tested before any enamel is removed, so the preparation is guided by the design rather than the other way round. That's how I keep the amount of tooth removed to a minimum.

Between visits 3 and 4 the dental laboratory makes your veneers, which usually takes two to three weeks.

Visit One: What Do You Need to Decide at the Consultation?

The first appointment is mostly listening. I want to know what bothers you about your smile, what you'd like to keep, and how much change you're comfortable with. Some people want a subtle refresh; others want a clearly different smile. Both are fine, but they lead to very different plans.

I then examine your teeth, gums and bite. Veneers sit on healthy foundations, so decay, leaking fillings or active gum disease need treating first. I also look for signs of grinding, because that affects whether porcelain is sensible and how it should be designed.

Photos and a 3D scan. I take a set of clinical photographs, including your smile at rest, in full and in profile, and a short video of you talking. Then I scan your teeth with our iTero intraoral scanner, which builds an accurate 3D model in a few minutes without putty impressions. You can read more about our scanner and CT on our technology page.

You'll leave with a clear idea of whether veneers suit you and what the alternatives are, and nothing has been done to your teeth.

Smile Design: Planning the Result Before Touching a Tooth

Using your photos and scan, I plan the new smile digitally. Smile design (£250) sets out the proportions of each tooth, the length of your front teeth against your lip line, the curve of the biting edges and how the smile sits in your face.

Good design is about restraint. Teeth that are too long, too square or too uniform look artificial, even in beautiful porcelain. I work to your features: the width of your smile, the shape of your lips and the way your teeth show when you speak.

The design is then turned into a 3D model of your proposed teeth, which is used to make the trial smile. You'll see it on screen and talk it through with me before anything is placed in your mouth.

The Trial Smile: Seeing It in Your Own Mouth

A trial smile (£250) is a temporary copy of the new design, made in tooth-coloured resin and placed over your existing teeth. It takes no drilling and no injection, and it comes off again in one piece.

This is the stage where you get the most say. You can look at it in a mirror, smile, speak, take photos and show someone whose opinion you trust. If an edge feels too long when you say "f" or "v" sounds, or you'd like the corners softer, I note the change and update the design.

There's a separate guide on what a trial smile is and what to test. The point to know here is simple: once you've approved the trial smile, it becomes the blueprint for the preparation, the temporaries and the laboratory.

Preparation Day: How Much of Your Tooth Is Removed?

With modern porcelain, preparation is usually minimal. On the front surface of a tooth it's often around half a millimetre or less, and some areas may need no preparation at all. Where possible I keep the preparation within enamel, because porcelain bonds to enamel far more reliably than to the softer dentine beneath.

To control this, I often prepare through the trial smile itself. The mock-up goes back on, and I shape only what's needed to make room for the porcelain in its planned position. Where the new tooth will sit further forward than your natural one, very little needs removing.

What it feels like. Most people have local anaesthetic, so the appointment is comfortable. If you're anxious, we can talk about sedation for longer visits. Once the teeth are shaped, I take a fresh iTero scan and choose the porcelain shade with you in natural light.

Even minimal preparation is permanent. The prepared teeth will always need a covering of some kind, which is why the planning stages come first.

Living with Temporary Veneers

You won't leave with prepared teeth on show. I make temporary veneers from your approved design, so they look much like your trial smile. They're held on with small spots of bonding so they come off easily at the next visit.

Temporaries are a rehearsal, not the finished article. Expect them to feel a little thicker and less smooth than porcelain, and your teeth may be slightly sensitive to cold for a few days.

For the two to three weeks you wear them:

• cut food into small pieces and avoid biting into apples, crusty bread or anything hard with your front teeth
• skip very sticky sweets and chewing gum
• brush gently and clean between the teeth as normal
• go easy on strongly coloured drinks, as the resin can stain
• call us if one comes loose, and keep it safe

If you notice anything you'd like changed while wearing them, tell me before the porcelain is finished.

Try-in and Bonding: The Day Your Veneers Go On

Try-in comes first. The finished veneers are placed on your teeth with a water-soluble try-in paste that matches the colour of the bonding cement. You see them in the mirror and in daylight, and you approve them before anything is fixed. Once a porcelain veneer is bonded, it can't be removed without damaging it, so this check is not rushed.

Then bonding. Each tooth is cleaned and kept completely dry, the inside of the veneer and the tooth surface are prepared, and the veneer is seated with resin cement and set with a curing light. I remove any excess cement, polish the edges and check your bite, including how your teeth glide when you move your jaw sideways and forwards.

Your gums may feel a little tender for a few days, and the new teeth can feel unfamiliar against your lips and tongue. That usually settles within a week or two as you get used to them.

The Review Visit and Looking After Veneers

About one to two weeks after fitting, I see you again. I check that your gums are healthy around every veneer, that no cement is left behind, and that your bite is comfortable. We take final photos so you can compare before and after.

If you grind or clench, I'll usually recommend a hard night guard to protect the porcelain while you sleep. Our night guards page explains the options.

After that, veneers need ordinary good care: twice-daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste, daily cleaning between the teeth, and regular dental examinations and hygiene visits. Avoid using your front teeth as tools, for opening packets or biting nails. Porcelain itself resists staining, but the margins and your natural teeth do not, so routine hygiene keeps the whole smile looking even.

Are Porcelain Veneers Right for You?

Veneers suit people whose teeth are healthy but worn, chipped, discoloured, uneven in shape or spaced, where a lasting change in shape and colour is wanted. They're less suitable if you have untreated gum disease, a heavy grinding habit that isn't managed, very little enamel left, or teeth that are simply crooked.

Consider the alternatives first. If colour is the only concern, teeth whitening may be enough. Small chips and gaps can often be fixed with composite bonding, which needs little or no preparation and can be adjusted later. Crowded teeth are often better straightened with Invisalign, sometimes followed by a few veneers or bonding.

The risks to weigh up. Preparation can't be undone. Porcelain can chip or occasionally come unstuck, teeth can be sensitive for a while, and in a small number of cases a tooth's nerve becomes inflamed. Veneers will need replacing at some point, and results vary from person to person. I'll talk through each of these for your teeth specifically.

If you'd like to see more of what's involved, our porcelain veneers page covers the treatment in general. Our practice is in Comely Bank, a short walk from Stockbridge.

Questions

This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.