Veneer Costs Explained
Veneers are priced per tooth, so the number on a price list only tells you part of the story. As someone who plans and fits porcelain veneers, I'll explain what goes into the fee, how many teeth people usually need, and what veneers cost over a lifetime.
How Much Do Veneers Cost in Edinburgh?
At Comely Bank Dental in Edinburgh, porcelain veneers start from £800 per tooth and composite veneers are £300 per tooth. Most people have six to ten veneers, and smile design (£250) and a trial smile (£250) may be added so you can preview the result. Every fee is confirmed in a written treatment plan before treatment begins.
How Much Do Veneers Cost per Tooth?
Porcelain veneers at our practice start from £800 per tooth. Composite veneers, built up directly on the tooth in a single visit, are £300 per tooth. These are guide prices, and your exact fee is confirmed in a written treatment plan before any treatment starts.
Planning fees can apply too. A digital smile design is £250 and a trial smile, which lets you see and feel a mock-up of the new shape in your own mouth, is £250. Not everyone needs both. For a small case they may not be needed at all.
Because veneers are priced per tooth, the total depends mainly on how many teeth you have treated. That's usually more than people expect, for reasons I'll explain below.
Porcelain or Composite: How Do the Costs Compare?
The two materials do a similar job in different ways.
| Feature | Porcelain veneers | Composite veneers |
|---|---|---|
| Guide price per tooth | from £800 | £300 |
| How they're made | By a ceramist in a dental laboratory | Built up and shaped directly in the mouth |
| Visits | Usually two or three, plus planning | Usually one, plus planning |
| Tooth preparation | Usually a thin layer of enamel removed | Little or none |
| Resistance to staining | Very good | Picks up surface stain over time |
| Typical lifespan | Often 10 to 15 years or more | Often 4 to 8 years |
| Repairs | Usually need replacing if damaged | Can often be repaired |
Composite costs less at the start and keeps more of your natural tooth. Porcelain costs more but is harder-wearing and holds its colour and shine for longer. Our veneers page explains both treatments in more detail.
Talk Through Veneers with Us
Book an appointment to discuss veneers. We'll examine your teeth, explain whether porcelain, composite or something simpler suits you, and give you a written plan with every fee set out.
How Many Veneers Do People Usually Need?
Most people considering veneers to improve their smile have six to ten upper teeth treated. The number comes from how many teeth show when you smile, not from how many you're unhappy with.
- One or two veneers can work for a single discoloured, chipped or misshapen tooth. Matching one porcelain veneer to natural teeth beside it is technically demanding, and it can take more than one try at the laboratory.
- Six veneers, from canine to canine, suit people whose smile mainly shows the front teeth.
- Eight or ten veneers suit broader smiles that show the premolars towards the cheeks.
Changing the colour or shape of only the front four can leave a visible step where the treated teeth meet the untreated ones. At planning, we look at your smile while you talk and laugh, and recommend the smallest number that gives a balanced result.
What Goes Into the Price of a Porcelain Veneer?
A porcelain veneer is a small piece of handmade work, and several things affect its cost.
The ceramist. Each veneer is made by hand in a dental laboratory. An experienced ceramist layers porcelain to copy the translucency, colour changes and surface texture of a natural tooth, and that skill is a large part of what you're paying for.
Planning. Smile design and a trial smile let us agree the shape and length before any tooth is touched.
Preparation. Most porcelain veneers need a thin layer of enamel removed so they don't look bulky. We aim to keep preparation to the minimum, and planning from the trial smile helps with that. It does mean that once teeth are prepared, they will always need some kind of covering.
Temporaries. While the laboratory makes your veneers, you'll usually wear temporary veneers, made to the agreed design so you can live with the new shape for a while.
Fitting and review. Each veneer is tried in, checked against its neighbours, bonded in place and adjusted to your bite, and we review you afterwards.
What Do Other Practices in Edinburgh Charge?
Among Edinburgh practices that publish their fees (October 2026), the lowest advertised price for a porcelain veneer ranges from about £370 to £1,200 per tooth, and the middle half of practices sit between roughly £570 and £760.
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes:
- whether the price is for porcelain made by a laboratory ceramist or for a composite veneer
- whether smile design, a trial smile and temporaries are included or charged separately
- whether the review appointment and any adjustments are covered
Not every practice publishes its prices, so these figures are a guide rather than a complete survey. A clear written plan that lists every fee matters more than a headline "from" price.
How Long Do Veneers Last? What Replacing Them Costs
With good care, porcelain veneers often last 10 to 15 years, and many last longer. Composite veneers usually need refurbishing or replacing sooner, often after four to eight years, though small chips can be repaired. Results vary from person to person.
Things that shorten a veneer's life:
- grinding or clenching, especially at night
- biting nails, pens or ice
- gum disease or decay around the edges
- contact sports without a mouthguard
When a porcelain veneer needs replacing, the cost is usually similar to having a new one made. Over a long period, the lower starting price of composite can be partly offset by more frequent replacement. A night guard is worth considering if you grind, and regular hygiene visits help protect the edges where veneer meets tooth.
When Are Veneers Not the Right Choice?
Veneers aren't for everyone, and sometimes a simpler or cheaper option gives a better result.
- If your teeth are healthy and only the colour bothers you, whitening is often enough.
- If your teeth are crooked, straightening them first with Invisalign can mean less preparation and fewer veneers, or none at all.
- If you grind heavily, veneers can chip or come loose, so your bite needs managing first.
- If you have active decay or gum disease, that must be treated before any cosmetic work.
- If a tooth is heavily filled or weakened, a crown may protect it better than a veneer.
Porcelain veneers involve removing some enamel, which can't be undone. I'd always rather talk someone out of veneers they don't need than prepare healthy teeth unnecessarily.
How Do You Get a Clear Quote?
The first step is an appointment at our Comely Bank practice to discuss veneers. We'll examine your teeth and gums, check your bite, take photographs, and use our iTero scanner to make a digital model of your teeth. If you're likely to go ahead, we'll explain whether smile design or a trial smile would help.
You'll leave with a written treatment plan that sets out:
- which teeth are involved and why
- the material we recommend, porcelain or composite, and the alternatives
- every fee, including planning, temporaries and review
You can read more about planning a bigger change on our smile makeover page. Members of our dental plan save 10% on most private treatment.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.