By Karun Dewan, Restorative Consultant and Specialist Prosthodontist
Whether you are looking for a smile makeover or to fix a cosmetic correction, veneers are often an excellent option. There are primarily two types of dental veneers: porcelain and composite. Determining which type of veneer is right for you comes down to multiple different factors. Firstly, it is paramount that patients understand and learn the key difference between them prior to making an informed choice.
What is the difference between porcelain veneers and composite veneers?
Porcelain veneers are thin shells of porcelain adhered to the outer-surface of the tooth. Composite veneers are engineered resin affixed to the outer-surface. Both are made to match your teeth (or whiten) and improve your overall smile.
The quicker of the two dental veneers to be applied to the teeth are composite veneers. This is because they can be done chairside in the same visit. Your dentist will match the resin to the shade of your surrounding teeth for the most natural look. The resin is added to your teeth, cured and then polished. You can walk out the same day with a new smile!
Porcelain veneers typically take at least two visits. Your dentist will remove a very thin layer of your teeth, take an impression of the teeth receiving the veneers and send the mold out to a lab. While you are waiting on your veneer(s) to be fabricated you can wear temporary veneers. When you come back for your second visit, your porcelain veneers will be bonded to your teeth with cement.
With proper care, the evidence suggests that porcelain veneers should last 10-15 years. Composite veneers, on the other hand, typically last 4-8 years. While porcelain is fragile, once bonded to a healthy tooth it is extremely durable. Composite is durable but not as strong as porcelain and is more prone to chipping. However, if damage were to happen to a porcelain veneer, it would have to be replaced, it cannot be repaired. If you chip a composite veneer, you can repair it.
The translucent properties of porcelain allow the veneer to catch light extremely similar to the way a natural tooth does. While composite resin still looks great, porcelain is unmatched. An incredible benefit of porcelain veneers is they are stain resistant. If you receive this type of veneer on most of your upper and lower teeth, this could mean no more having to whiten your natural teeth. Composite resin will stain like natural teeth.
Another thing to note is porcelain veneers are not reversible, composite veneers are if you were to be unhappy at any point.
Porcelain veneers are more expensive than composite initially. The placement of porcelain takes more time, expertise and resources. The dental lab’s dentists work with are chosen very carefully and cost money to fabricate restorations. If you break down costs by how often you would have to replace/repair composite verse porcelain though, the cost could come out even over time.