People considering porcelain veneers commonly ask three questions:
- How much do porcelain veneers cost?
- How long might they last?
- Will preparing the teeth cause permanent damage?
These are important questions. Porcelain veneers can involve irreversible changes to natural teeth, and the restorations will probably require maintenance or replacement during a patient’s lifetime.
Dr Vicky Ho has worked with porcelain veneers in Perth for more than 20 years. Materials and techniques have changed considerably during that time, but no single treatment, material or technique is appropriate for every patient.
This guide explains the potential costs, lifespan, benefits, limitations and risks of porcelain veneers. A clinical assessment is required before individual advice can be provided.
What are porcelain veneers?
A porcelain veneer is a thin ceramic restoration bonded to the visible surface of a tooth.
Depending on the circumstances, veneers may be considered to change aspects of:
- Tooth colour
- Tooth shape or proportion
- Worn or chipped edges
- Minor spaces between teeth
- Selected alignment irregularities
- Discolouration that has not responded adequately to whitening
Veneers cannot address every cosmetic or functional concern. Alternatives may include no treatment, whitening, composite bonding, orthodontics or crowns.
How are veneers different from crowns?
A veneer generally covers the front surface and sometimes part of the biting edge of a tooth. A crown covers most or all of the visible portion of a tooth above the gumline.
A veneer may involve less tooth preparation than a crown, but this depends on the position and condition of the tooth and the proposed result.
Crowns may be more appropriate when a tooth has extensive damage, a large existing restoration or another clinical reason for broader coverage. Neither treatment should be recommended without considering more conservative alternatives.
Porcelain veneers compared with composite veneers
Composite veneers are made by applying tooth-coloured resin directly to the teeth. Porcelain veneers are usually designed from scans or impressions and manufactured outside the mouth before being bonded to the teeth.
Composite treatment can sometimes be completed in one appointment and may involve less tooth preparation in selected cases. Composite resin can stain, chip, wear or detach and may require polishing, repair or replacement.
Porcelain has different optical and surface properties and is generally more resistant to staining than composite resin. However, porcelain can still chip, fracture or debond and may be more difficult to repair.
Neither material is automatically better. Suitability depends on:
- The condition of the teeth
- Tooth position
- The bite
- The desired change
- The available tooth structure
- The patient’s budget
- Maintenance expectations
- Acceptance of the relevant risks
How much do porcelain veneers cost in Perth?
Fees vary between practices and patients.
As a general guide, porcelain veneers in Perth may be advertised within a range of approximately $1,500 to $2,500 per tooth, while composite veneers may be advertised at approximately $400 to $800 per tooth.
These figures are indicative only. They should be checked against the treating practice’s current fees before publication and do not represent a guaranteed or standard Perth price.
The total cost may be affected by:
- The number of teeth being treated
- The complexity of the treatment plan
- The condition and position of the teeth
- The amount of preparation required
- The ceramic material selected
- Dental laboratory fees
- Diagnostic scans, photographs or X-rays
- Temporary veneers
- Existing fillings or restorations
- Gum or periodontal treatment
- Orthodontic treatment
- A protective appliance where recommended
- Reviews and maintenance
A low advertised price may not include every stage of treatment. At Smile Design Studio, patients receive a written treatment plan and quotation before proceeding. A definitive quotation may require a separate clinical examination and diagnostic process.
What should be included in a veneer quotation?
Before agreeing to treatment, consider asking:
- Is the fee per tooth or for the entire treatment plan?
- Are diagnostic records included?
- Are temporary veneers included?
- Are laboratory fees included?
- Is a trial design or mock-up included?
- Is a protective appliance included if recommended?
- Are review appointments included?
- What happens if a veneer chips or debonds?
- What maintenance costs should I expect?
- Are there additional fees if the treatment plan changes?
Patients should be given sufficient time to consider an elective treatment plan and seek a second opinion if desired.
How many porcelain veneers might be needed?
There is no standard number of veneers. Some people consider four to ten veneers across the front of the mouth, but this does not mean that every patient needs that number.
The number proposed may depend on:
- Which teeth show when smiling
- Which teeth show while speaking
- Smile width
- Tooth colour
- Tooth shape and proportions
- The condition of adjacent teeth
- Whether a colour match can be achieved
- Whether another treatment would be more conservative
Treating more teeth increases the total cost, the amount of intervention and the future maintenance commitment.
A digital simulation or temporary mock-up may help patients understand a proposed design. It cannot guarantee that the final result will look identical.
How long do porcelain veneers last?
Porcelain veneers do not have a guaranteed lifespan.
A 2021 systematic review estimated a cumulative veneer survival rate of approximately 95.5% at 10 years. A separate long-term clinical study estimated survival of approximately 93.5% at 10 years and 82.9% at 20 years.
These figures describe the patients, materials and techniques included in those studies. They cannot predict how long an individual patient’s veneers will last.
“Survival” does not necessarily mean that a veneer remained unchanged or required no maintenance. A veneer may still be counted as surviving if it required polishing, adjustment or another minor intervention.
Some veneers last for many years. Others require earlier repair or replacement.
What can affect veneer longevity?
Factors that may affect the lifespan of porcelain veneers include:
- The amount of enamel available for bonding
- The condition of the underlying tooth
- Tooth preparation
- The ceramic and bonding materials
- Tooth position
- The way the teeth contact
- Clenching or grinding
- Nail biting
- Chewing ice or hard objects
- Using the teeth to open packaging
- Oral hygiene
- Gum health
- Tooth decay
- Trauma
- Maintenance and review attendance
A veneer can remain intact while the underlying or surrounding tooth develops decay or another problem. Regular dental examinations remain important after veneer treatment.
What if you clench or grind your teeth?
Clenching and grinding can place additional force on natural teeth, veneers and other restorations.
A removable protective appliance may be recommended in selected cases. This is sometimes called a night guard, splint or occlusal appliance.
An appliance cannot guarantee that grinding will stop or that a veneer will not chip or debond. Possible limitations include discomfort, changes in tooth contact, increased clenching, dry mouth, excess saliva and the need for adjustment or replacement.
An appliance should be prescribed following an appropriate assessment and reviewed during use.
Do porcelain veneers ruin natural teeth?
Porcelain veneer treatment commonly requires permanent alteration of the teeth.
The amount of preparation varies. Some teeth may require relatively limited enamel reduction, while others may require more preparation because of their position, colour, shape or existing restorations.
Figures such as 0.3 to 0.5 millimetres are sometimes quoted, but they do not apply to every tooth or patient.
Once enamel or other tooth structure has been removed, it cannot be replaced naturally. The prepared tooth will probably require an ongoing restoration. For this reason, veneer treatment is generally considered irreversible.
A veneer should not automatically be described as strengthening, sealing or protecting a prepared tooth. Although a veneer may restore selected worn or chipped areas, the treatment also introduces new risks and a future maintenance commitment.
Why preserving enamel matters
Research suggests that ceramic veneers bonded primarily to enamel may have more favourable survival and complication outcomes than veneers bonded to larger areas of exposed dentine.
This is one reason treatment planning should aim to preserve healthy tooth structure where clinically appropriate. It does not mean that enamel-only preparation is possible in every case.
When significant tooth movement or colour change is desired, orthodontic treatment, whitening or another option may reduce the amount of tooth preparation required.
What can happen if a tooth is over-prepared?
Removing more tooth structure can increase the risk of:
- Sensitivity
- Pulp inflammation
- Reduced bonding to enamel
- Greater exposure of dentine
- The need for root canal treatment
- The need for a crown
- Future restorative complications
Preparation should be based on the individual tooth and treatment plan. Patients should be told how much tooth structure is expected to be removed and whether more conservative alternatives are available.
Treatment performed overseas is not automatically unsafe, and treatment performed in Australia is not automatically risk-free. Patients should assess the practitioner’s registration, qualifications, experience, treatment plan, follow-up arrangements and access to care if a complication occurs.
What are the risks of porcelain veneers?
Possible risks and limitations include:
- Temporary or persistent sensitivity
- Gum irritation or recession
- Chipping or fracture
- Debonding
- Changes in tooth contact
- Colour or shape differences
- Difficulty matching untreated teeth
- Decay around the veneer margins
- Inflammation or damage to the dental pulp
- The possible need for root canal treatment
- The possible need for a crown
- Repair or replacement
- An appearance that differs from expectations
Risks vary between patients and teeth. Your dentist should explain the material risks that apply to your proposed treatment.
Why is the bite assessed before veneer treatment?
The way the teeth contact can influence the forces placed on veneers and other restorations.
Before recommending veneers, a dentist may assess:
- Existing tooth wear
- Cracks or fractures
- Clenching or grinding
- Jaw movement
- Tooth contact during biting and chewing
- Missing teeth
- Existing restorations
- The available space for the proposed veneers
- Jaw pain, clicking or restricted movement
This assessment does not prove that an uneven bite causes headaches, tinnitus, neck pain or temporomandibular disorders.
Jaw pain, headaches, neck discomfort and ear symptoms can have multiple dental and non-dental causes. Further assessment or referral may be appropriate when these symptoms are present.
Porcelain veneers should not be presented as a treatment for TMD, headaches, neck pain or tinnitus.
What if your teeth are already worn?
Tooth wear can have several contributing factors, including:
- Grinding or clenching
- Dietary acids
- Gastric reflux
- Abrasive habits
- Reduced saliva
- Certain medical conditions
- A combination of factors
The cause and extent of wear should be assessed before restorations are placed. Veneers may not be suitable when there is extensive wear, inadequate enamel or insufficient space. Other restorative, orthodontic, medical or preventive measures may need to be considered first.
Who may be suitable for porcelain veneers?
Veneers may be considered when:
- The teeth and gums are healthy
- There is adequate suitable tooth structure
- The concern can reasonably be addressed with veneers
- The proposed design is compatible with the bite
- The patient understands that treatment is generally irreversible
- The patient accepts the risks and maintenance requirements
- Expectations are realistic
A person cannot be confirmed as a suitable candidate without an individual clinical assessment.
When might veneers not be recommended?
Veneers may not be recommended, or may need to be delayed, when there is:
- Active tooth decay
- Untreated gum disease
- Inadequate enamel
- Significant tooth damage requiring another restoration
- Severe clenching or grinding
- An alignment concern better managed orthodontically
- Insufficient space for the proposed restoration
- An unstable oral-health condition
- Unrealistic expectations
- An inability to maintain oral hygiene or attend reviews
In some cases, a more appropriate option may be no treatment, professional cleaning, whitening, composite bonding, orthodontic treatment, replacement of an existing restoration, a crown where clinically indicated or a combination of treatments.
More extensive treatment is not necessarily better.
Are porcelain veneers painful?
Local anaesthetic may be used during tooth preparation where appropriate.
Some patients experience temporary sensitivity or gum discomfort during or after treatment. Other patients may experience persistent sensitivity or another complication. A completely pain-free experience cannot be guaranteed.
Contact your dentist if you develop severe or increasing pain, persistent sensitivity, swelling, difficulty biting, a change in the way the teeth meet, or a loose, chipped or fractured veneer.
Will porcelain veneers look natural?
Porcelain veneers can be designed with variations in colour, shape and translucency.
The final appearance depends on the underlying tooth colour, ceramic selection, veneer thickness, tooth preparation, laboratory processes, gum position, adjacent teeth, lighting and individual preferences.
No exact shade, shape or aesthetic result can be guaranteed. Patients should have an opportunity to discuss their preferences before the veneers are bonded. Once bonded, changing the colour or shape may require adjustment or replacement.
Can natural teeth be whitened when you have veneers?
Whitening agents lighten natural teeth but do not predictably change the colour of porcelain veneers, crowns or fillings.
When whitening and veneers are both being considered, whitening may be planned first. The veneer shade can then be selected after the natural tooth colour has stabilised.
Whitening is not suitable for everyone and may cause temporary sensitivity or gum irritation.
How long does veneer treatment take?
Treatment time varies. A veneer treatment sequence may include:
- Initial consultation
- Clinical examination
- Photographs, scans or impressions
- X-rays where clinically indicated
- Discussion of alternatives, risks and costs
- Digital planning or a mock-up
- Tooth preparation
- Temporary veneers
- Laboratory manufacture
- Assessment and bonding
- Follow-up and maintenance
Some cases may take several weeks. Treatment involving orthodontics, gum procedures, management of dental disease or more extensive restorative work will generally take longer. A treatment timeline should be provided after assessment and planning.
What happens if a veneer chips or comes off?
Management depends on the type and extent of the complication.
A small rough or chipped area may sometimes be polished or repaired. An intact veneer that has debonded may sometimes be rebonded. A fractured veneer may need to be replaced.
The dentist should also examine the underlying tooth and consider why the complication occurred. Repair or rebonding may not always be possible, and additional treatment costs may apply.
Can you eat normally with porcelain veneers?
Veneers are intended to function during ordinary eating, but they are not indestructible.
Patients may be advised to avoid chewing ice, biting hard lollies, biting pen lids or fingernails, opening packaging with the teeth, biting directly into very hard foods, or other habits that place excessive force on the front teeth.
Advice should be tailored to the patient and the treatment provided. Normal eating without future complications cannot be guaranteed.
Are veneers reversible?
Porcelain veneer treatment is generally not reversible when enamel or other tooth structure has been removed. Even a preparation described as minimal represents a permanent change if natural tooth structure is altered.
Composite veneers may sometimes require less preparation, but they should not automatically be described as completely reversible. Tooth preparation, bonding and later removal can affect the underlying tooth.
Will private health insurance cover porcelain veneers?
Private health insurance arrangements vary between funds, policies and patients.
Some clinically indicated dental services may attract a rebate under an eligible policy. Cosmetic treatment may be excluded or only partly covered. The use of a dental item number does not guarantee that an insurer will pay a benefit.
Patients should obtain information directly from their health fund before treatment. The fund, not the dental practice, determines whether a rebate is payable.
Treatment timing should be based primarily on clinical considerations rather than solely on maximising annual benefits.
Can treatment be divided across different calendar years?
Some patients ask whether treatment can be staged across benefit years.
Whether staged treatment is clinically appropriate depends on the treatment sequence, teeth involved, temporary restorations, oral-health considerations, laboratory timing and the effect of delaying part of the treatment.
Treatment should not be divided solely to obtain insurance benefits if doing so would compromise clinical care. Patients should confirm benefit limits and waiting periods directly with their health fund.
Can superannuation be released early for veneer treatment?
Porcelain veneers undertaken solely for cosmetic reasons would not ordinarily qualify for compassionate release of superannuation.
The Australian Taxation Office applies strict eligibility requirements. Pain or distress does not automatically establish eligibility, and approval should not be presented as easy, common or expected.
Patients considering an application should obtain current information directly from the Australian Taxation Office and seek independent financial advice. Smile Design Studio cannot determine eligibility or guarantee that an application will be approved.
Are payment plans available?
Payment options may be available for eligible patients, depending on the finance provider’s approval criteria and terms.
Before entering a payment arrangement, patients should review:
- The total amount payable
- Interest
- Establishment or account fees
- Repayment dates
- Late-payment consequences
- Cancellation terms
- What happens if treatment changes or stops
A payment plan does not make treatment clinically necessary or suitable.
Frequently asked questions
How many porcelain veneers do I need?
There is no standard number. The appropriate number depends on which teeth show when you smile and speak, the colour and shape of adjacent teeth and whether another treatment could achieve the desired change more conservatively.
Are porcelain veneers painful?
Local anaesthetic may be used during tooth preparation. Some patients experience temporary sensitivity or gum discomfort. Persistent symptoms are possible, and a pain-free experience cannot be guaranteed.
Will my veneers look fake?
Veneers can be designed with variations in shape, colour and translucency. The result depends on the underlying teeth, preparation, ceramic, laboratory process and treatment plan. No particular appearance can be guaranteed.
Can I whiten my teeth after veneers?
Whitening does not predictably change the colour of porcelain. If whitening and veneers are both planned, whitening may be completed first so the veneer shade can be selected afterwards.
How long does the complete process take?
Some cases take several weeks, while more complex treatment may take longer. A reliable timeline can only be provided after assessment and planning.
Will my health fund cover porcelain veneers?
Coverage varies. Cosmetic treatment may be excluded or only partly covered. Patients should obtain confirmation directly from their insurer before proceeding.
What happens if a veneer chips or comes off?
A small chip may sometimes be polished or repaired. An intact debonded veneer may sometimes be rebonded. A fractured veneer may need replacement. The underlying tooth should also be examined.
Can I eat normally with veneers?
Veneers are intended for ordinary eating, but patients should avoid using them to bite very hard objects or perform tasks such as opening packaging. Individual care instructions may vary.
Are porcelain veneers reversible?
They are generally irreversible when natural tooth structure has been removed. The prepared tooth will probably require an ongoing restoration.
Are composite veneers reversible?
Composite treatment may involve less tooth preparation in selected cases, but it should not automatically be described as completely reversible. Placement and later removal can affect the underlying tooth.
How do I choose a dentist for veneer treatment?
“Cosmetic dentist” is not a recognised dental specialist title in Australia.
Consider asking:
- Is the practitioner registered with AHPRA?
- What education and experience do they have?
- What alternatives have been considered?
- How much tooth structure will be removed?
- Where will the veneers be made?
- What ceramic is proposed?
- What risks apply to my teeth?
- What maintenance will be required?
- What happens if a veneer fails?
- Can I seek a second opinion?
Photographs of other patients cannot predict your outcome.
What to do next
If you are considering veneers, the first step is to discuss your concerns and learn about the available options.
The purpose of the initial discussion should be to help you understand whether further assessment is appropriate, not to pressure you into treatment.
Arrange a complimentary initial consultation
A complimentary initial consultation may be available for adults at Smile Design Studio.
It may include:
- A discussion about what you would like to change
- An opportunity to explain your concerns and preferences
- General information about possible options
- An explanation of the next steps required for clinical assessment
- General information about likely treatment fees
- Time to ask questions
The complimentary consultation is a discussion only. It does not include treatment, diagnostic testing or clinical services. It is limited to one consultation per person and is subject to appointment availability.
A separate clinical examination and diagnostic process may be required before a definitive treatment recommendation, quotation or consent process can be completed.
Attending a consultation does not obligate you to proceed. Veneers may not be recommended in every case.
Call (08) 9468 3322 or use the Smile Design Studio contact form.
About Dr Vicky Ho
Dr Vicky Ho is a registered dentist and principal dentist at Smile Design Studio in Mosman Park and Perth CBD.
She has more than 30 years of experience in dentistry. Her practice interests include cosmetic and restorative dentistry, porcelain veneers, full-mouth rehabilitation and the assessment of patients with tooth wear or jaw symptoms.
Descriptions of Dr Ho’s training, experience or practice interests do not imply specialist registration.
Important information
This article provides general information for adults and does not replace individual dental, medical, legal or financial advice.
Porcelain veneer treatment is generally elective and may involve irreversible removal of natural tooth structure. Suitability, preparation, risks, costs, maintenance requirements and outcomes vary between patients.
Veneers may chip, fracture, debond or require repair or replacement. The underlying teeth can still develop sensitivity, decay, gum problems or pulp complications. Root canal treatment or another restoration may sometimes be required.
No particular aesthetic result, symptom improvement or treatment lifespan can be guaranteed.
Seek advice from an appropriately qualified, AHPRA-registered dental practitioner based on your individual circumstances. Consider obtaining a second opinion before proceeding with extensive or irreversible dental treatment.
