Understanding Dental Veneers: Procedure, Costs, and the Pros and Cons

If you have ever thought of getting veneers, it is vital to fully understand the entire process, including the benefits and drawbacks. While most people consider the procedure as one only bearing aesthetic value, it is also an involving dental process, which requires the best cosmetic dentists to undertake. Therefore, consider checking before and after photos before getting dental veneers in Dubai.   

While anyone can benefit from veneers, the procedure is not for everyone. If you do not like the look of your smile or teeth, then you probably need to consult a dental veneer expert. To ensure that you don’t walk into nasty surprises, we have gathered enough facts on the art of sculpting smiles, including the available types, pros and cons, costs, and the process of getting one. After reading this article, you will be in a position to determine whether dental veneers are worth the effort.

Explaining Dental Veneers

Dental veneers are thin pieces of porcelain, which improve the appearance of your teeth by attaching to the front surface of the tooth. Apart from porcelain, prosthetics can also be made using other materials such as resin and composite matter. The primary goal of veneers is to change the color, shape, or size of your tooth. Precisely, dentists recommend veneers when:

  • Fillings, root canals, and other dental procedures cause discoloration in the teeth
  • Your teeth are broken or chipped
  • Your teeth have an irregular shape
  • Your teeth have gaps
  • You have dental issues causing a lack of self-confidence

If you know how to look after your porcelain veneers, they can last between 7 and 15 years after installing before replacing. 

The Cost of Dental Porcelain Laminates

The cost of porcelain laminates often turns away most patients. However, if you understand how the thin layer of material covering your tooth can enhance the aesthetics of a smile, you won’t be so hesitant speaking to the dentist about them. 

The cost of traditional dental veneers can run from AED 1836 to AED 6978 per tooth, while the price of lumineers ranges between AED 2,938 and AED 7346 per tooth. Several factors influence how much a patient pays for dental veneers, often coming from resin composite materials or porcelain. The factors include:

  • Material

Dentists make dental porcelains from different materials, which vary in price. Opting for more expensive materials is advisable since they last longer than choosing cheap materials that won’t last long. 

  • Dentist

The cost of veneers depends on the dentist you choose. Credible dentists are highly sought-after and will tend to charge more for their services. 

  • Location

The location of a dentistry facility plays a role in determining the ultimate price. In major cities such as Dubai, the cost will be higher than in a rural setting. 

  • Number of Veneers

Getting more veneers will mean paying more in the end since the costs adopt a per veneer price. 

  • Complementary Treatments

Rarely do patients seeking porcelain veneers have them without getting other treatments. Veneers cannot be stained or whitened. Therefore, whitening your teeth professionally, before installing veneers is a wise decision. 

No one can price a beautiful smile that dazzles everyone. Hence, if the cost of dental veneers is beyond your means, consult your dentist about financing options because your dental insurance will not cover the expenses of this cosmetic procedure. 

Dental Veneers Types

Once you and your dentist determine that veneers could be a perfect solution for your dental problem, the next important thing to do is to choose from the several types available:

  • Porcelain Veneers: Porcelains are the most expensive and best-looking type of dental veneers. They are bespoke to fit any shade and size of natural teeth. During installation, dental professionals use special cement and ultraviolet light to apply porcelain over the existing tooth.
  • Composite Veneers: Composites are similar to porcelain but only differ in their constitution. In most cases, composite veneers come from the same components with cavity fillings and are a standard solution in addressing gaps or minor chips in teeth. Composites are both less expensive and durable than porcelain veneers.  
  • Instant Veneers: Just as the name suggests, instant veneers provide a quicker option because they are pre-made. For that reason, dentists often apply instant veneers during your initial consultation for a missing or broken tooth. Instant veneers are less costly than porcelain, though they cannot always give an exact match to your natural teeth because they come readymade. 
  • Removable Veneers: Removable veneers are the latest type of dental veneers falling between instant and porcelain veneers. Dental lab experts make these veneers easy to remove whenever necessary and can match your natural teeth. Removable veneers provide the least expensive option in the four categories, although they do not offer a long-term solution to missing or broken teeth, or any other underlying causes to dental problems. 

The Pros of Dental Veneers

Veneers provide the following benefits: 

  • They increase your confidence because they give a flawless smile. 
  • They give a natural tooth appearance
  • Gum tissue have excellent tolerance to porcelain
  • The molding of dental veneers is specific to a patient’s natural dental orientation, making it almost impossible to tell the difference with your natural tooth. 
  • Porcelain dental veneers are resistant to stains
  • Veneers provide a flexible solution to underlying dental problems. Patients can choose something as close to their natural teeth color as possible to make the change not so visible, although they can naturally make any tooth to appear brilliant white. 
  • Applying veneers involves bonding to your natural tooth in its existing condition, which eliminates the need for drilling or shaping the teeth. 
  • Veneers do not require special maintenance apart from routine brushing and flossing.

The Cons of Dental Veneers

Here are some disadvantages to keep in mind before taking the plunge into dental veneers: 

  • A dental veneer is an irreversible process since it involves the removal of a small portion of the enamel from the teeth to accommodate the shell.  
  • Veneers are prone to cracking and chipping than fillings since porcelain is naturally delicate. It would be best if you avoided teeth grinding and biting nails as one of the ways to protect the porcelain material.
  • Dental veneers are generally expensive
  • The tooth tends to experience increased sensitivity to hot and cold after fixing the shell on the surface. 
  • Decaying teeth under the veneer is a common occurrence, which often leads to other procedures down the road, including root canals and crowns.

The Procedure of Dental Veneers

With the pros and cons of veneers in mind, you can get the entire procedure of fixing dental porcelain veneers at the dentist’s facility. The process includes:

  • The dentist begins by taking X-rays and making impressions of teeth to receive veneers. 
  • The impressions go to the laboratory for final tailoring, which often takes two to four weeks after the first consultation. 
  • Depending on your dental condition, some dentists may install temporary veneers as you wait for the permanent prosthetics to veneers as you wait for the permanent prosthetics to come in.
  • Applying permanent veneers involves removing approximately 1mm of enamel from your teeth, which is less than what dentists remove during crowns or fillings. 
  • After enamel removal, the dentist applies special cement to the prosthetic and places it on your tooth’s surface. 
  • Special lighting quickly cures the cement to create a strong bond. 
  • The dentist can then make any other necessary adjustments. 

Most dental professionals recommend follow-up appointments a week or two after placing the veneers to see if they are functioning correctly. 

Conclusion

If you have decided to install dental veneers, the first step is to visit a licensed dentist and making sure you understand what the process entails, including the cost implications. At Glow Medical and Dental Center, we are renowned for providing a wide range of dentistry solutions to gum issues, broken teeth, teeth voids, and teeth whitening, among others.

As part of Dr. Ismael Healthcare Group, our qualified dentists specialize in the successful completion of simple and complex cosmetic procedures that enhance your smile. If you are not sure what works best for your aesthetic needs, contact our specialized dentists to book for installation of dental veneers in Dubai. Alternatively, send us an email at appointments@glow.ae, or call 04- 456- 4889 for a proper consultation with cosmetic dentistry professionals today. 

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