top of page

What are dental veneers?

Veneers are thin, custom-made shells, crafted from tooth-coloured materials, often porcelain, which fit over the facial surface of the teeth. They are made to fit your teeth perfectly and are designed to correct stained, chipped, decayed, teeth with gaps or crooked teeth. While the primary purpose of dental veneers is to improve the look of your smile, they can be used to fix chipped or broken teeth or in place of minor orthodontic work. Dental veneers can help improve your smile in many scenarios. While their primary purpose is to improve the look of your smile, they can be used to fix chipped or broken teeth or in place of minor orthodontic work to fix minor gaps or cosmetic alignment issues. Typically, we can use dental veneers for the following:

​

  • Permanent Discolouration: Teeth whitening can only get you so far! In many cases, your teeth may be permanently discoloured and cannot be whitened. Additionally, if you have any fillings visible from the front side of your teeth, they may not match your natural tooth or will discolour differently over time. Veneers can be used to completely change the shade of your teeth and look completely natural!
     

  • Change the shape of your teeth: Whether you have a shorter tooth or teeth that are a little uneven or irregularly shaped, veneers can be placed to give you a more uniform, fuller smile.
     

  • Minor teeth alignment: If your teeth are slightly out of alignment but you do not want to get braces/clear aligners, then veneers can be a great alternative.
     

  • Diastema (Gaps between teeth): Diastema is common and can be hereditary. Most commonly found between your two upper front teeth (midline diastema) but may be found elsewhere. Using dental veneers, we can close this gap and give you a beautiful, natural-looking smile!
     

  • Fix chipped or broken teeth: Using dental veneers, we can repair your chipped or broken tooth.

We offer

Dental Veneers at our Epping Dental Clinic

Optimum Dental

How can Dental Veneers help improve my smile?

Dental veneers can help you dramatically enhance your smile. Dental veneers are thin covers (no thicker than a fingernail!) that are bonded to the front face of your tooth or teeth to improve your smile. They are custom-made to look natural and fit in with your teeth perfectly. 


Dental veneers have been considered the gold standard in cosmetic dentistry for decades. Their popularity is enduring, and they are responsible for some of the most famed picture-perfect smiles of celebrities. Veneers mimic the look of natural teeth and are the perfect way to camouflage discoloured, stained or otherwise unappealing teeth. They provide a long-term, dramatic aesthetic look and can correct a single problem tooth or provide a complete smile makeover. Veneers deliver reliable, instant results that can completely transform your smile.

​

What are the benefits of dental veneers?

Benefits of dental veneers include:

​

  • Offering a solution for permanently discoloured teeth: you can completely change the shade of your teeth while maintaining a realistic, natural look

  • Being able to change the shape of your teeth: whether you have a shorter tooth or teeth that are a little uneven or irregularly shaped, veneers can be placed to give you a more uniform, fuller smile

  • Being able to immediately treat misaligned teeth: if your teeth are slightly out of alignment but you do not want to get braces/clear aligners, then veneers can be a great alternative

  • Correcting Diastema (gaps between teeth): ‘diastema’ is common and can be hereditary. It is most commonly found between your two upper front teeth (midline diastema) but may be found elsewhere. Using dental veneers, we can close this gap and give you a beautiful, natural-looking smile!

  • Fixing chipped or broken teeth: using dental veneers, we can repair your chipped or broken tooth;
    Where the veneer is, you cannot get a cavity, however, you can still get a cavity where the veneer meets your own natural tooth, on the tooth’s surface.

Considering Dental Veneers?

Our friendly team would love to help you determine whether dental veneers are suitable for you and help you make the right decisions. We'll walk you through your options, discuss whether composite veneers or porcelain veneers are more suitable for you specific circumstances, and will walk through any other options you may have.

​

Come see us today or schedule an appointment by calling us or using our online bookings system below. Optimum Dental is conveniently located in Epping and is only a 2 minute walk from the train station!

How long do dental veneers last?

The longevity of your veneers will be dependent upon whether you have opted for composite or porcelain veneers and, of course, how well you care for them.

​

In order to prolong the life of your veneers and protect their finish, Dr Karu may recommend that you avoid some foods that may be especially hard on your veneers. This is to protect the veneers from chipping and cracking. Your dentist may also ask you to minimise your interaction with foods and beverages that may stain or discolour your veneers such as coffee, tea or red wine. This is especially important for composite veneers.

 

By maintaining good dental hygiene, including daily brushing and flossing, and taking special care of your veneers when eating, you can expect your veneers to last a very long time! We've seen dental veneers last many decades with some patients! But typically, you can expect your composite veneers will last around 3 to 5 years. Porcelain veneers on the other hand, will typically last between 7 to 15 years. In rare circumstances, a veneer may chip or fracture. But for many people the results are more than worth it as they are designed to be completely unrecognisable amongst your natural teeth.

What are my dental veneer options?

There are 2 main types of dental veneers. They are Porcelain and Composite Resins. There's a lot to consider when determining which is best for you and our friendly team will help you make that decision when you come to see us! But in summary:

​

  • Porcelain Veneers
     

    • Are made from thin layers of glazed procelain. They can appear more natural as they have a natural translucent sheen, mimicking natural teeth more closely​

    • Harder to stain than composite resins as they are less porous

    • Are strong and more durable than composite veneers
       

  • Composite Veneers
     

    • Made from engineered resin, rather than porcelain.

    • Requires less tooth preparation and is considered more conservative

    • Can be moulded and fitted with a single sitting at our practice while porcelain veneers typically require at least 2 visits​

    • Can be repaired and touched up if you happen to chip them

    • Are more affordable as they cost less than porcelain veneers

​

Choosing between porcelain or composite veneers comes down to personal preference and budget. There is a lot to consider when determining which option is best for you. Both options can improve the colour and shape of your teeth and provide a fast way to deal with tooth degradation. Dr Karu will work with you to address the pros and cons of each option within the context of your lifestyle and budget, empowering you to make the right choice of your treatment.

What does getting dental veneers involve?

When you visit our dental clinic in Epping for dental veneers, the first thing that will occur is a comprehensive cosmetic dental smile examination. This will include Dr Karu carefully inspecting each tooth to ensure that dental veneers are the right choice. During the consult, our friendly team will talk over any issues and areas of concern and pay special attention to what you'd like to achieve. Our team will then discuss with you all your options in detail and what the end result will look like.


Each veneer is entirely custom-made, created according to the individual’s face and dimensions to ensure everything is in proportion. For porcelain dental veneers, an impression is taken by your dentist and a model is made. This is done after the tooth has been gently shaped to accept the dental veneer. This is completed under local anaesthetic, so the procedure is virtually painless. The filing of the tooth prepares a space of the veneers to be fitted. Working with the model provided by the dentist, a dental technician will design custom veneers in a dental lab and return the veneers for the dentist to perform placement. In the meantime, you will have temporary veneers fitted until the permanent ones get back from the lab.


We can then make the necessary tweaks and, once you are happy with the result, bond them permanently to the teeth. This happens over the course of a few appointments.


Fitting veneers is usually an irreversible process, because it in most cases, it is necessary to remove a small amount of enamel from your tooth to accommodate the shell. However, you don’t have to commit to a full set of veneers if you don’t want to. You may opt for a single veneer if you have one tooth out of line, or treat a couple of teeth for a more uniform smile. There is also the option of having a partial veneer that only covers a section of the tooth, which is perfect if you only have a small chip in a problem tooth.

​

For composite veneers, the process is shortened, with the resin applied after shaping your tooth to accept the veneer (in some cases, no shaping is required!). This resin is then cured and shaped to your liking in the same sitting!

Popularity of dental veneers

With the omnipresence of social media, there has been a steady trend towards a universal straight white smile. Crafting smiles for some of the world’s biggest stars is not a new concept. More recently, veneers have become an essential accessory for influencers. Celebrities whose brands are partially owed to dental veneers include:
 

  • Tom Cruise

  • Cristiano Ronaldo

  • Zac Efron

  • Morgan Freeman

  • Niall Horan

  • Nicole Kidman

  • Miley Cyrus

  • Demi Moore

  • Meghan Markle

  • Victoria Beckham
     

Achieving a celebrity smile is now more accessible than ever. If you would like to improve your smile and confidence, consider dental veneers. At Optimum Dental, we want you to love your smile. So if you are thinking about transforming your smile, we are here to help.

bottom of page