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Call us: 0115 647 9990
Mapperley Dental Studio · 870 Woodborough Road · 0115 647 9990
An irreversible treatment, planned carefully
Changing the shape, colour and surface of front teeth together, where less invasive options cannot achieve it.
Veneers give the greatest control over appearance, and they permanently remove enamel to do it. That trade-off is set out plainly before treatment, alongside the alternatives.
VeneersFrom £700
Fully private practice, no long waiting list
Early, late and weekend appointments available
Booked in advance, subject to availability
Membership plans from £14.10 a month
The straight answer
A dental veneer is a thin custom-made shell, usually porcelain, bonded to the front surface of a tooth to change its shape, colour and surface texture. A small amount of enamel is normally removed first so the veneer sits flush and looks natural. Because that enamel does not grow back, the treatment is irreversible.
Teeth that are discoloured beyond what whitening can correct, misshapen, worn at the edges, or have persistent gaps and chips. Veneers can also mask mild alignment problems, though moving the teeth usually treats that better.
The teeth are prepared, a digital scan is taken and a laboratory makes veneers to an agreed shape and shade. Temporary veneers protect the teeth in the meantime. At the fit appointment the veneers are tried in, checked and bonded with adhesive resin.
Veneers can transform appearance. They also make the tooth permanently dependent on a restoration, they can chip or debond, and they eventually need replacing. Each replacement removes a little more tooth.
Why patients come to us
Some internal staining does not respond to whitening. Where the shade cannot be changed, covering the surface is one of the few remaining options.
Practical outcome: a consistent shade across the visible teeth, chosen and agreed in advance.
Where the underlying shape is the problem rather than the position or colour, adding a precisely made surface addresses it directly.
Practical outcome: shape, proportion and surface changed together in a planned way.
Worn edges are a functional problem first. Rebuilding them without understanding why they wore leads to the new work failing the same way.
Practical outcome: the cause is assessed, protection considered, and the restoration planned around your bite rather than just its appearance.
What this treatment gives you, and the practicalities worth knowing before you book.
Suitability
Attend the examination and hygiene intervals your dentist recommends
Follow the home cleaning routine agreed with your dentist or hygienist
Tell us about medical conditions and medication, and about any changes
Your dentist will confirm whether this treatment is suitable after examining your teeth, gums, bite and wider oral health.
Step by step
Teeth, gums and bite are examined, and what you want to change is established precisely. Less invasive alternatives are set out and compared before veneers are agreed.
Photographs, digital scans and a shade assessment are used to design the intended result, which is shown to you before any tooth is prepared.
A small amount of enamel is removed under local anaesthetic so the veneer sits flush. A digital scan is taken for the laboratory.
Temporaries protect the prepared teeth and let you assess the shape and length in daily life. Feedback at this stage informs the final design.
The veneers are tried in and checked for fit, shade and appearance before being bonded. Your bite is checked and adjusted.
The result is reviewed shortly afterwards. A night guard is commonly recommended, particularly for patients who grind.
The first appointment is an examination and a discussion. No treatment is carried out without your agreement, and you leave with a written plan and costs.
Fees
Fees depend on what the examination finds, which is why the figures below are starting points rather than quotations.
One examination and one hygiene appointment a year, priority access and emergency support.
Two examinations and two hygiene appointments a year, priority access and emergency support.
Two examinations and four hygiene appointments a year, priority access and emergency support.
All three plans include priority appointment availability, a 10% discount on non-cosmetic treatment and eligibility for the Worldwide Dental Emergency Assistance Scheme.
Your personalised cost is confirmed in writing after your examination. The figures above are starting prices for guidance only. They are not a quotation and do not take account of your individual clinical needs. You will receive a written plan setting out the recommended treatment, sequence and cost. No treatment begins until you have agreed it.
Your dentist
Whether someone comes in for a check-up or a full cosmetic plan, the first appointment is the same: time to listen, a proper look, and a clear explanation of the options and what they cost. Everything else follows from that.
Dr Rupchhen Tamang, Principal Dentist
A general dental practitioner is not a specialist. The word "specialist" should not be used unless a clinician appears on the relevant GDC specialist list.
Comfort and aftercare
Preparation is carried out under local anaesthetic and involves removing a thin layer of enamel. You should feel pressure and vibration but nothing sharp.
Fitting is usually straightforward and often needs little or no anaesthetic. Take your time at the try-in stage; it is much easier to adjust a veneer before it is bonded than afterwards.
Temporary veneers are more fragile than the final ones. Avoid biting directly into hard or sticky food while they are in place, and contact the practice if one comes off.
Some gum tenderness around newly fitted veneers is normal for a few days. Cold sensitivity can persist for a short period. Contact the practice if the bite feels uneven or if sensitivity does not settle.
Common questions
Normally a thin layer of enamel from the front surface and the biting edge, so the veneer sits flush rather than looking bulky. The exact amount depends on the tooth and the change being made. It is a small amount, but it does not grow back, which is why the alternatives are discussed first.
Well-made and well-maintained porcelain veneers can last many years, but no dentist can give you a guaranteed figure. Longevity depends on your bite, whether you grind, whether you use your front teeth on hard objects, and your gum health. Plan on the basis that they will eventually need replacing.
Not in the sense of returning to how things were. Enamel removed during preparation is gone permanently, so a tooth prepared for a veneer will always need some form of restoration. This is the single most important thing to understand before agreeing to treatment.
Porcelain is highly stain resistant and holds its colour better than composite bonding. The junction between veneer and tooth can pick up staining over time, particularly with tea, coffee, red wine and tobacco, and this shows as a faint line at the margin. Good cleaning and regular hygiene visits reduce it.
Yes, if you are planning to. Veneers do not respond to whitening, so their shade is fixed once made. Whitening the natural teeth afterwards would leave the veneers looking darker. Whitening first means the veneer shade is matched to the result you actually want.
Grinding is one of the main reasons veneers fracture. It does not necessarily rule the treatment out, but it needs assessing and managing, usually with a protective night appliance worn indefinitely. Ignoring it and proceeding anyway is how expensive work fails early.
Sometimes, and it is worth asking. Composite bonding adds material to the tooth rather than removing enamel, can often be done in one visit, and is repairable. It stains and chips more readily than porcelain and generally needs replacing sooner. For smaller changes it is frequently the better first choice.
Still unsure about something? Call the practice on 0115 647 9990 and ask.
Finding us
| Monday | 9am to 5pm |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 8am to 8pm |
| Wednesday | 8am to 8pm |
| Thursday | 9am to 5pm |
| Friday | 9am to 5pm |
| Saturday | Pre-booked appointments only |
| Sunday | Closed |
Patient feedback
Your first appointment is an assessment and a conversation. You leave with a written plan setting out what is recommended, in what order, and what it costs, and you decide what happens next.
