Beyond the before-and-after: Making sense of veneers

Author: Dr Alexandra Jones, Co-Founder and Board Chair

Marketing for cosmetic veneers is everywhere. Our social media feeds are full of glossy before-and-after shots, fast transformations, and “perfect” smiles.

But what doesn’t get as much airtime is some stuff that really matters when you’re making a big decision about your mouth. This includes the risks, the costs (now and later), and what veneers mean for you and your teeth over a lifetime.

We wanted to share some basics, no judgement, just some science that might help.

What are veneers?

Veneers can sit on the front surface of teeth to change their colour, shape or alignment. There are two main types:

Direct veneers: These are often made of a resin type material, placed directly onto your teeth using an adhesive material. Think of it like painting a bathroom wall with a super thick, glossy waterproof paint.

Indirect veneers: These are often made of a ceramic type material and then bonded onto your teeth. This process is more like tiling a wall than painting. They can be more durable and usually involve more cost and preparation.

Both systems have pros and cons.

Start with your “why”

Before talking materials, shades, or shapes, the first thing to clearly identify is the reason you want veneers, or your “why”.

Is it about your tooth colour, alignment, wear and tear, shape, trauma, dental disease, or your smile?

Each of these has different underlying causes, and therefore different potential solutions.

Sometimes (and we don't mean to get too deep) it's not easy to identify your “why”, because it might be about your sense of self, social acceptance, ideas of beauty, or a feeling that you need to be “better”.

Once you’re clear on your “why”, we think it’s important to understand the biological, financial, emotional and time costs of all the options available.

Veneers on unhealthy teeth? Not a great plan

Let’s go back to the bathroom wall analogy. If the wall has rising damp, tiling or painting over it won’t work. You have to fix the dampness first. Same goes for teeth.

If the underlying biology isn’t healthy due to decay, gum disease, enamel erosion, or bite issues for example, veneers may increase the “burden” for the mouth, perhaps making things more complicated.

Addressing the root cause of these conditions is an important first step.

Aesthetic goals VS biological cost

A really important piece of info to keep in mind is that achieving a certain look sometimes requires removing natural tooth structure. That can come with a permanent, lifelong cost.

For example, if teeth are mildly misaligned and veneers are used to “mask” the position, sometimes enamel needs to be removed to make them sit flush. That enamel doesn’t grow back. Ever.

Veneers may be faster than orthodontics, but the biological price may be higher in the long run.

Short-term wins vs the long-term you

Direct veneers may chip or peel over time, but they’re easier to repair or redo. Indirect veneers may last longer, but they’re more expensive and may require more initial tooth reduction.

In any case, veneers can start a long-term restorative cycle that you will need to attend to across your life.

This is especially important to consider when you are starting from a position of “complete biological health”.

Even gorgeous, beautifully-done state-of- the-art dentistry doesn’t last forever, it needs maintaining, repairing or replacing over time.

Eventually, often decades down the track, even high-quality veneers may start to appear mismatched to you as your face, gums, bite and smile change.

You may need to refresh or replace them to keep the same aesthetic effect.

Other options worth considering

Depending on your “why”, you might think about:

• Repairing underlying issues first, then reassessing

• Moving teeth orthodontically (slower upfront, lower biological cost)

• Less invasive solutions that can support your “why” and the health of your teeth for the long-term

• Taking the pressure off yourself (and your teeth) to be “perfect”

What matters is that you understand all the options, and the trade-offs.

Dentists will help you understand the biology of your mouth and teeth, and provide you with the facts to help you to make an informed decision that fits your immediate and long-term goals.

The bottom line

Veneers are not “instant confidence” with no strings attached. Despite what Instagram would have you believe!

Your teeth are with you for life, and any treatment that changes them permanently deserves time to consider, and evidence-based advice from a trusted dentist.

At FRED, we’ll always champion oral health approaches that protect your natural teeth wherever possible, and prioritise prevention.

Technological advances mean our ability to restore teeth, to have them appear close to the ideal, has never been better. But expectations around appearance and beauty have increased exponentially, too. This has caused much pressure for many. Teeth are now just one more part of the body to be perfected and optimised, in terms of their appearance. This focus on dental appearance as opposed to health has not always led to healthy outcomes.

At FRED we know beauty is not skin deep, and it’s definitely deeper than the skin of our teeth.