What is a veneer?
Types · process · cost

A thin ceramic shell, 0.1–0.5 mm, bonded to the front of a tooth to improve color, shape, and size. Unlike a crown it covers only the visible surface, so far more natural tooth is preserved.

Not necessarily. Teeth that are small, evenly aligned, and non-protruding often qualify for no-prep veneers with zero reduction. When a larger change of form is needed, micro- or minimal-prep is used — always the calculated minimum.

Multilayer build-up veneers are KRW 1,300,000 per tooth (VAT excluded, as of 2026). Costs vary with tooth condition and treatment scope; the full non-covered fee table is disclosed on our pricing page.

It depends on the concern. A gap between the two front teeth is often closed with just two veneers; refreshing the full smile zone usually means six to eight. With multilayer build-up, even two veneers are designed to blend in unnoticed.

No-prep and micro-prep cases usually proceed without anesthesia, so discomfort is minimal. Minimal-prep uses light anesthesia. Brief sensitivity right after bonding is possible and typically settles soon.

Usually two to three visits over one to two weeks. Hand-layering the ceramic takes several days — it is the slower path, and it is also where the natural translucency comes from.

It varies with care and habits, but well-bonded veneers with a well-adjusted bite often serve for over a decade. Grinding and nail-biting shorten that span, so we guide you through protective habits.

Whitening usually comes first, to set the target shade of the surrounding teeth; the veneers are then fabricated to match. Ceramic does not change color with whitening agents.

The ceramic surface resists staining better than natural enamel. The bonding margins and your natural teeth can still stain, so rinsing after staining drinks and regular check-ups are recommended.

An Er:YAG (water-drop) laser acts selectively on the bonding resin, releasing old veneers while minimizing the burden on the tooth, and new ones are rebuilt with multilayer ceramics. Adding no further reduction is the principle of this removal method.

Decay is treated first — sealing a shell over a cavity lets it progress unseen into far worse damage. Because a conservative-dentistry specialist handles both, cavity care and veneers proceed under one plan.

Inflamed gums destabilize the bonding margin and make line design inaccurate. Scaling and gum treatment come first; the veneer is planned on settled tissue, and periodontal status is checked at the first exam.

Even for no-prep cases without anesthesia, long chair time and radiographs are worth avoiding — non-urgent aesthetic work is generally advised after delivery. We guide what is reasonable by trimester at consult.

An intact debonded shell can often be re-bonded; a fractured one is remade for that tooth alone. Because fabrication is in-house, your shade records remain on file — a single remake still matches its neighbors.

Added thickness can feel unfamiliar for the first days, and most people adapt quickly. Edge position and thickness are designed with speech in mind, and pronunciation is tested at try-in before bonding.

Reshaping broadly means trimming edges to tidy the form; veneers bond a ceramic shell that changes shade and shape together. Minor cases sometimes finish with simple reshaping alone — diagnosis tells you which you need.

A veneer bonds to the front surface; a crown wraps the whole tooth. Healthy teeth needing aesthetic change point to the conservative veneer; root-canal-treated or heavily damaged teeth point to crowns. Remaining tooth structure decides.

Steadily — front-tooth consults from men in client-facing work are common. Masculine teeth read naturally with slightly squarer contours, so gender-appropriate form is part of the design.

Yes — the masking layer can block the base shade and build the target color. But harmony with untreated neighbors matters, so if you want the whole smile brighter, whitening first usually looks more natural.

Possible, but finishing orthodontics first and closing with veneers is the better order. If veneers are already in place, bracket placement can be adapted — discuss both treatments together before planning.

Yes, with conditions: the bite design accounts for grinding and a night guard protects the ceramic during sleep. Undisclosed grinding shortens any restoration’s life, so tell us at diagnosis.

Of course. If the exam shows you need no treatment — or a different one — that is exactly what we will say. Some consultations end without a recommendation to treat; that is our twenty-year rule.