Clinical review: Dr. Samreen Ejaz, BDS, RDS ·
What a veneer can do
A veneer is a thin layer bonded to the front of a tooth. It can help with colour that won’t shift, a chipped edge, or a shape you don’t like. It won’t fix decay, gum disease or a bite problem, so those come first. Bring photos of smiles you like, they help us understand you, but your veneers will be designed around your own teeth and face.
Porcelain, composite or zirconia
We offer all three. Porcelain veneers are made in a lab from ceramic. Composite is tooth-coloured filling material shaped straight onto your tooth, which suits some cases. Zirconia is another ceramic and needs its own design and bonding plan. None of them is simply better than the others. The right one depends on your tooth.
What we look at first
Dr. Samreen checks your enamel, old fillings, gumline and how your teeth meet when you bite. Tell her exactly what bothers you rather than asking for a full set. Before anything is done, you should know how much of the tooth will be trimmed, whether that can be undone, and how likely it is you’ll need replacements later. Grinding your teeth or thin enamel can change the plan.
Seeing the result before it’s final
We may take impressions or photos, choose the shade with you, and sometimes make a trial version so you can see the shape. Lab-made veneers take a couple of visits. Composite is usually done directly in the chair. Ask when you’ll get to see the look and say what you’d change. A trial is a guide, not an exact copy of the finished result.
Doing less
A clean, whitening, a small composite repair, microabrasion or braces can sometimes fix the thing that bothers you. A veneer isn’t always the gentlest option. We’re happy to talk about doing less, or doing nothing, alongside veneers. If a smaller step fixes most of what bothers you, you keep more of your natural tooth and can still choose veneers later.
Looking after veneers
Clean along the gumline and between your teeth every day. Don’t bite hard things like bones, nuts in shells or packaging with veneered teeth, and tell us if one chips, feels loose or your bite feels different. Veneers need looking after for years, and at some point they’ll need repair or replacement. Ask how that works for the material you choose.
BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT
Questions about dental veneers
Do all veneers need my teeth to be trimmed?
Not always the same amount. It depends on the material, the tooth and the change you want. Dr. Samreen will explain it tooth by tooth.
Can I try whitening first?
Often yes, if colour is the main problem. We’ll check what caused the colour and whether you have fillings that won’t whiten.
Which material should I choose?
It depends on your enamel, your bite and how you want it to look. We’ll explain the trade-offs for your teeth.
This is general information. What’s right for your tooth depends on what Dr. Samreen finds when she examines it.
Background reading: ADA: veneers. These are overseas sources, so their prices and rules don’t apply here.