Porcelain veneers, designed before they are made.

Reviewed August 2026.

Veneer or bonding — the actual difference

Bonding is composite resin shaped onto the tooth in one visit. It costs less, it is done the same day, and it stains and chips sooner. A veneer is porcelain, made in a lab, fitted at a second visit. It costs more, keeps its colour, and lasts substantially longer. For one small chip, bonding is usually the right answer. For six front teeth being redesigned, it usually is not.

How many, and why the number matters

Veneers are rarely done one at a time on front teeth, because a single new facing has to match neighbours that are ageing at their own pace. Four, six or eight across the smile line is more common. Which teeth show when you smile decides the number — not a package.

What is removed, and whether it grows back

A veneer needs a small amount of enamel taken from the front of the tooth so the porcelain sits flush rather than proud. That enamel does not come back, which is why this is a decision rather than an experiment, and why the design is approved on screen first.

Keeping them

Porcelain does not decay, but the tooth behind it can, and the margin where the two meet is where that starts. Daily flossing, ordinary hygiene visits, and a night guard if you grind — grinding is the most common reason a veneer chips.