The Dental Veneers Guide for 2025

Everything You Need To Know

Cosmetic veneers are one of the leading dental techniques to improve the appearance of your teeth. With this simple treatment, dental veneers will whiten your smile, straighten your teeth and repair any cosmetic damage including chipped or broken teeth.

What Are Dental Veneers?

Dental veneers are thin shells or coverings that are made to fit over your existing teeth. Each set of veneers is custom made to suit the patient, so you can choose the colour, size and shape of the veneers to create the perfect smile that you’ve always wanted. Dental veneers can be made out of porcelain or resin. The expert design of the dental veneers gives you a cosmetically perfect smile that looks and acts like natural teeth; however, porcelain veneers have the added benefits of being stronger and resistant to staining or chipping. Dental veneer treatments typically offer sets of 6, 8 or 10 veneers to provide a complete smile transformation for patients.

Do Veneers Look Natural?

Yes! A dental veneer treatment will give you a perfectly natural smile. To achieve this, you need to ensure your dentist is using the highest quality materials and colour matching the veneers to suit your teeth. Depending on the result you are looking for, dental veneers can give you a cosmetically perfect smile with bright white teeth, or a natural your-teeth-but-better look.

Types Of Dental Veneers

There are different types of dental veneers available to choose from depending on the look and longevity you are wanting for your smile. Porcelain veneers are the most popular type of veneer as the material is durable and stain resistant, and the finish closely matches the look of natural teeth with its light reflecting shine. Resin composite veneers are a common alternative as the material is cheaper to make into veneers, however they do not last as long as porcelain veneers and are more vulnerable to staining and chipping. Your dentist will be able to advise you on the best type of veneers for your teeth, as well as discussing what you can expect from the process with you.

How Do Porcelain Dental Veneers Work?

Porcelain veneers work by covering the front surface of your existing teeth with a very thin shell that had been made to look like a natural tooth.

The steps to getting porcelain dental veneers:

1. Book a consultation with your dentist
2. In the consultation your dentist will make the best recommendation as to how many individual veneers you need. This may include taking intraoral photographs and dental x-rays.
3. In your first veneers appointment, your dentist will prepare your selected teeth for veneers by reshaping the teeth. In most cases minimal preparation can be done to your existing teeth.
4. Your dentist will then make a mold of your teeth with either a traditional putty impression or an intraoral scanner.
5. You and your dentist will then discuss what colour you would like your veneers to be using a shade guide.
6. Your dentist will create a temporary veneer in the same appointment for you to wear until your cosmetic veneers are ready.
7. ​​At your next dental visit, your dentist will fit and adjust your veneers until they are properly placed and your bite is comfortable.
8. Once adjusted, the veneer is permanently bonded to the front surface of your teeth. Any excess dental cement is cleaned off to leave you with a comfortable feeling and natural looking smile.

How Do Resin Dental Veneers Work?

Composite resin veneers are different to porcelain veneers in that they don’t need to be prepared in a lab ahead of time. Therefore, your dentist can apply them during a single visit.

The steps to getting composite resin dental veneers:

1. Book a consultation with your dentist
2. In the consultation your dentist will make the best recommendation as to how many individual veneers you need. This may include taking intraoral photographs and dental x-rays
3. In your composite veneers appointment, your teeth are cleaned and prepared as necessary.
4. Your dentist will then place and shape a thin, tooth-coloured resin to the outer surface of your teeth
5. Your dentist will ensure maximum compatibility with your tooth structure underneath, bite, cleanability and gum health.
6. You walk out with your new smile!

Since composite veneers are made out of filling resin, they have a lower cost than porcelain veneers; however, the downside is that they tend to wear down more easily and are more prone to chipping and staining. Their average lifespan is around four to eight years.

Where Can You Get Veneers?

For anyone in the Brisbane region, you can get both porcelain and resin veneers at Fix Dental Mount Gravatt or Chermside. Our highly skilled dentists have helped hundreds of people get their smile confidence back with dental veneers. You can view our full list of veneer treatments here.

Your regular dentist may also offer veneers as one of their services, if not, they can refer you to a cosmetic dentist who specialises in smile makeovers.

If you are searching for a new dentist to provide dental veneers, make sure you thoroughly vet them before undergoing any treatment. It’s a good idea to research their presence online, read through reviews of previous patients and view photos of their porcelain veneers before and after to see if they can provide the smile makeover you are looking for.

How Old Do You Have To Be To Get Veneers?

There is no age limit to getting veneers as long as your adult teeth have fully developed before undergoing the treatment. Typically, when people get veneers they are looking to improve the cosmetic appearance of their teeth. Veneers are a great treatment option for anyone of any age who wants to fix cosmetic issues such as discolouration, chipped or broken teeth, crooked or gapped teeth, teeth that are too small or pointy, or any other cosmetic problem that is causing you to hide your smile. Dental veneers can also be a great option for people who have slightly crooked teeth but don’t want to endure the pain or time involved with adult braces.

Advantages of Porcelain Dental Veneers

There is a long list of advantages to getting porcelain veneers, they are one of the most popular dental cosmetic treatments for a reason.

● Porcelain veneers can correct nearly all cosmetic issues with your teeth including:
● Correcting gaps and spacing between teeth
● Improve irregular shaped or sized teeth
● Offer a brighter, whiter smile if you have tooth discolouration
● Correct uneven gum line
● Lengthen worn down teeth
● Repair teeth that are chipped or fractured
● Give an aesthetic appearance to slightly crowded teeth
● Less invasive and less painful than other cosmetic dental treatments such as
implants or braces
● Completely customisable to give you the smile you’ve always wanted
● Long lasting (10-20 years) and stain resistant

Disadvantages of Porcelain Dental Veneers

The most common “disadvantage” to porcelain veneers is usually the cost, however for the length of time that veneers will last you and the huge cosmetic improvement to your smile, many view the investment as worthwhile.

● Porcelain veneers are a more expensive dental treatment
● Porcelain veneers are costly to repair if you chip them compared to composite
● In some cases, may require some removal of natural tooth structure (often minimal)
to place the veneers

Advantages of Composite Dental Veneers

Composite resin veneers have their own benefits. Here are the advantages that these dental veneers can provide.

● Treatment can be completed in a single visit
● Less expensive than porcelain veneers
● Minor damage to the veneers can be repaired (chips and cracks)
● Provides a beautiful tooth appearance

Disadvantages of Composite Resin Dental Veneers

Composite veneers are good for a quick and easy fix, but they won’t last as long as porcelain veneers. The main disadvantages of composite veneers are:

● Composite resin tends to stain more easily
● Less durable than porcelain veneers
● Repaired chips and breaks are often still visible
● Much shorter lifespan than porcelain veneers
● Not as realistic looking as porcelain veneers

How to Get Porcelain Veneers?

Getting dental veneers typically involves three dentists visits over a period of about a month. First you will need to book in for a consultation with your dentist to determine if veneers are an appropriate solution for your teeth and smile issues.

In your first veneers appointment your dentist will prepare your teeth for the veneers, colour match your teeth and create a mould of teeth to create your new veneers.

In your second veneers appointment, your dentist will fit and fix the veneers to your teeth, ensuring your bite is correct and your smile is comfortable. Now that your veneers are fitted, you are ready to smile with confidence!

Please note that if you want to whiten or bleach your teeth, this needs to happen before you get veneers in order to ensure that your dentist can match the colour perfectly. As porcelain and resin veneers cannot be whitened once they are made.

Pain and Discomfort Of A Dental Veneer Procedure For Porcelain

During your initial consultation you will experience no pain when your dentist x-rays or photographs your teeth. In the first of your veneer appointments your dentist will apply local anaesthetic before removing a minimal layer from the surface of the tooth to make room for your veneers. You will experience no pain during this procedure, it may leave a little soreness as your mouth and jaw adjust directly afterwards. In your second appointment when your veneers are placed on your teeth, your dentist will again apply local anesthetic so that you feel no pain during the setting. Afterwards, you may experience tender gums for a few days while you adjust to your newly veneered teeth, beyond this, you will feel no discomfort from your veneers.

How Long Do Veneers Last?

High quality porcelain veneers can last 10 – 20 years if well maintained. Composite resin veneers are not as resistant to chipping or breaking, so they might only last 4-7 years. How To Maintain Porcelain Veneers? Veneers are nearly as strong as your natural teeth so all you need to do is care for them as you would with your normal teeth. Brush, floss and maintain regular checkups with your dentist to keep your veneers strong and bright for their lifetime. If you play sports you will need to wear a mouthguard as normal and you’ll need to be careful when eating hard, tough, or chewy foods to not chip your teeth.

How To Maintain Composite Veneers?

Composite dental veneers look great but they are not as strong as your own natural enamel. To maintain composite veneers you need to embrace a routine of regular brushing with a nonabrasive toothpaste, and don’t chew on ice and other hard objects with your veneered teeth. If you grind your teeth or clench your jaws, you should wear a protective splint at night. You should also watch out for drinks like coffee or tea that might stain your new veneers. Visiting your dentist on a regular basis is the most important step to maintaining your composite veneers. At your regular visit, your dentist will polish your composite veneers to remove stains and to restore their glossy surface.

The Cost of Porcelain Veneers or Resin Veneers

At Fix Dental Mount Gravatt and Chermside we offer veneer packages at low, fixed prices, allowing you to smile with confidence for less! Click here to see our Brisbane Veneer pricing.

Our competitors in Brisbane will charge up to $7500 more for dental veneers than we will. This does not mean you are getting any higher quality or a more experienced dentist. It means that we are able to offer veneers at such a low price because our experience allows us to streamline the process and source Australian-made crowns and materials at much lower prices. We then pass on these savings to our patients.

Our initial consultation for veneers is always free and obligation free, so you can explore your options with our highly experienced Brisbane dentists to find the best solution for your smile.

Book A Veneers Consultation Today

To reserve a free veneers consultation with our Brisbane dentists, book online or call one of our friendly clinics to book a time. We’ll discuss your options and if you are a good candidate for veneers.

Read more about dental veneers on our veneers information page.

Dentist Appointments In Brisbane

Book your next Brisbane dentist appointment online or call our friendly reception.

Fix Dental Chermside: 07 3520 4078.

Fix Dental Mount Gravatt: (07) 3520 4088

Afterpay, Zip, Humm & other interest-free payment plans available in both of our Brisbane dental clinics.