Smile Makeover Veneers, Cosmetic Crowns, & Bonding

Veneers are thin porcelain or ceramic covers bonded to the front of your teeth; we use them as one of the cosmetic options in a smile makeover. A smile makeover is chosen to correct chipped teeth, close small gaps known as diastemas, cover stains and create symmetry in the shape and size of the teeth; veneers improve both the appearance and the function of your smile. Because each one is customized, the aim is an enhanced version of your own smile. Preparing a tooth for a veneer removes a little tooth structure, so it is not reversible; what suits your case is worked out at a consultation.

With good and consistent oral hygiene care, we put the expected life of veneers at 10–15 years; no restoration has a fixed lifespan. How long yours serve you depends on daily brushing and cleaning between the teeth, keeping regular checkups and professional cleanings, and on habits that put restorations under strain — grinding your teeth, or using them to open things. The tooth underneath still needs looking after: a veneer covers the front surface, it does not make the tooth immune to decay or gum disease. Your dentist checks the veneers and the tissue around them at routine visits.

The cost of veneers is worked out for your case after a consultation rather than read off a list. What moves it: how many teeth are being treated, the material used, whether other cosmetic work such as crowns or bonding is part of your plan, whether any preparatory treatment is needed first, and what your dental insurance covers. See Insurance and Financing for coverage and payment options, or the DTLC Healthy Smile Plan, our in-house membership plan for patients without dental insurance.

Our smile makeover is a personalized treatment plan built from cosmetic dental options: veneers, cosmetic crowns and bonding. Veneers are thin, customized porcelain or ceramic covers for the front of the teeth. Cosmetic crowns are full-coverage restorations that protect damaged or discolored teeth. Bonding is resin material sculpted and hardened in place to repair chips, close gaps or reshape teeth. Which of these your plan includes — and how many teeth are involved — is decided with your dentist at a consultation, where your smile is evaluated and what to expect is explained.

After the consultation, our smile makeovers usually take just two visits. At the first, your teeth are prepared and impressions are taken. At the second, your custom restorations are bonded in place and adjusted. The consultation comes first: your smile is evaluated, what your result will look like is discussed, and you are told what to expect. How long the whole process takes depends on how many teeth are being treated and what your plan involves, so ask at your consultation for the schedule for your case.

We design restorations to look like an enhanced version of your own smile, refreshed and natural. Veneers are thin, customized porcelain or ceramic, made for your teeth rather than picked from a shelf, which is what lets the shape, size and color sit with the rest of your face. Before anything is prepared, your smile is evaluated at a consultation and what the result will look like is discussed, so you know what to expect.

Your teeth are fully numbed before they are prepared for veneers. We offer comfort options during treatment, including laughing gas, blankets and headphones. What you feel afterwards varies from person to person, and teeth can be sensitive for a while after being prepared — tell us about anything that does not settle, so it can be checked. If dental anxiety is what has kept you away, we also offer sedation dentistry.