The good, the bad, and the ugly of dental porcelain veneers

What should you know about veneers before you are even considering them?

I have done thousands of veneers, and more and more people are asking me about them lately. The trend is ascending—the main drivers are cosmetics and, implicitly, emotions.

A long-standing patient of mine keeps changing her preference every time I see her for a check-up. We did what was necessary, but there is quite a debate regarding cosmetics, personal preferences, social influences…. I sometimes feel I am protecting her from herself. New patients already ask for treatment with veneers. Still, when we have a more in-depth discussion to identify the benefits they seek, I discover that they are poorly informed and sometimes even misled by advertising campaigns or online information. But that is not the point I want to make…; it is interesting how vulnerable lay people are without objective, evidence-based data. Hence, my attempt in this article is to provide the “Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” (evidence-based and medically relevant) of having porcelain veneers done.

Let us start with the Good:

Laminate Porcelain Veneers — Courtesy of Dr. Costin Marinescu, D.D.S.

1. Veneers look good, often much better than the teeth they cover. Of course, it is a very individual choice, which must be carefully evaluated and integrated into the treatment design. There is no standard color, shape, texture, or size….. all are individually tailored to each patient. The veneer's design and choice of materials are the actual value of the treatment; the dental technician can only do what the doctor prescribes. That is why excellent technicians often insist on meeting the patients and discussing aesthetics, desires, and expectations. Some offices have in-house laboratories to enable custom work on demand.
2. The technology: The prep or non-prep design, materials out of which the veneers are made, the bonding technique, bite equilibration… all play decisive roles in the predictability and durability of veneer treatment. A well-designed, prepared, manufactured, and delivered veneer should last 20 years and even longer. When so, veneers…