Dental veneers are another fantastic tool used in cosmetic dentistry to help create that perfect smile. Unlike crowns which cover the whole tooth, dental veneers are wafer-thin shells of porcelain which are just bonded to the front of your teeth.

Porcelain itself it a fairly brittle material but the bonding process adds additional strength to a veneer leaving you with a beautiful, durable and completely natural looking tooth. Dental veneers take on the appearance of enamel and provide the means for a truly remarkable cosmetic restoration.

Although porcelain has amazing crushing strength it doesn't react well to twisting so once you have had a tooth or your teeth veneered you need to avoid foods that will require any kind of gnawing or twisting action.

Dental veneers have a variety of uses with veneers being used as an alternative to tooth whitening, braces, crowns and other cosmetic dentistry techniques. Porcelain veneers can be used to disguise discoloured or chipped teeth, close gabs, straighten teeth, assist with realignment and reshape your smile.

Veneers have a distinct advantage over dental crowns in that there is no requirement for the tooth to be ground down prior to the veneer being bonded to the tooth. In addition, veneers tend to be more aesthetically pleasing providing you with an even more natural appearance.

Given the nature of a veneer, in that it is bonded to the front of your tooth, veneers are only of any use for cosmetic restoration of front teeth.

Getting a veneer is so easy and a great alternative for those hate the dentist chair. An initial visit will involve your cosmetic dentist taking an impression of your teeth and you may require some minor contouring work. The second visit will be purely for the veneer to be bonded into place providing you with an instant and fantastic looking result.

With teeth that are too damaged for a veneer you can use a veneer in conjunction with a crown to obtain a perfect finish.

Dental veneers are basically used for aesthetic purposes so are unlikely to be covered by your dental insurance although you might get some level of discount if you have a dental care plan.

As with most cosmetic dentistry veneers do not come cheap with a single porcelain veneer likely to set you back $700 to $1500 although the lower end of the range is more common. There is an alternative which is a composite veneer which comes with a significantly reduced price tag (around $250) but the material has a shorter lifespan and obviously doesn't provide you with the same quality result.