Composite Veneers in 2025: Advantages and Disadvantages

One of the primary things that people first notice about you — rightly or wrongly — is your teeth. Thus, having a shining set of whites is something that many people aim for to help with interpersonal interactions and self-esteem.

Understandably, hhowever, you may feel uncomfortable smiling because of crooked, chipped, or discolored teeth. Uneven spaces between your teeth can make them hard to clean and can lead to tooth decay and thus impact your oral heath – and that’s why you want to come to the dentist before that happens!

Should I Get Veneers?

Thanks to modern cosmetic dentistry and Dr. Jack Nagrani’s advanced training and experience, there are a number of ways for us to help you get the beautiful smile you’d like to have—including dental veneers.

There are three general ways to adjust teeth: bonding the teeth with composite resins (like a “white filing” or “bonding”), veneers and dental crowns. And when we talk about veneers, we refer to two general types: composite veneers and porcelain veneers. Both veneer options work by being bonded to the front teeth, and offer the ability to change the shape and color of your teeth. Another, less promoted feature of veneers is that by making the teeth shape, size and position closer to ideal, veneers can often help improve the health of the gums by making oral hygiene easier. Note that veneers will not cure existing gum disease, as gum disease (periodontal care) requires specific dental care for the gums as a whole.

Small White Fillings

While placing small bondings (white fillings) can work to improve the look, feel, and health of your teeth, for larger changes to a smile (multiple teeth), we usually need to use veneers or crowns.

Dental Crowns

Dental Crowns are a great way to change the look and shape of your teeth, and we have incredible life-like ceramics that make your crowns look virtually identical to your natural teeth. However, dental crowns are thicker than veneers, and require that we take away more tooth structure than for veneers, so for patients who don’t have existing crowns or fillings on the teeth we want to improve, we try to avoid dental crowns.

Who can use veneers?

We generally limit veneers to adults who have all of their permanent teeth erupted. On occasion, and if the patient’s concerns are limited to the color of their teeth, we are able to solve the problem with teeth whitening, and may not need to touch the teeth at all.

If you have a history of bruxism – grinding your teeth – using veneers may not be the ideal choice for you. The pressure that comes from consistent grinding can weaken veneers, and lead to fracture. And if we do use veneers as a treatment for someone who grinds, we will require that you use a bite guard/nite guard to protect the teeth. Composite veneers offer the esthetics of crowns, but not necessarily the strength of crowns when it comes to someone who bruxes.

As mentioned above, veneers can be used to solve a number of cosmetic concerns, but if you have teeth that have existing crowns, a history of multiple fillings, or have large existing cavities, then veneers are not the appropriate choice for your smile. You would gain more a benefit in these cases fromdental crowns.Ultimately we need to examine your teeth and mouth to determine if veneers are the right treatment choice for you.

Types of Veneers

Veneers are thin coverings of ceramic or porcelain that we apply to your teeth to reshape them and improve their appearance.Because “veneers are thin shells” of porcelain or composite, we need to make sure that our bonding strength is excellent. Thus, we aim to bond veneers to tooth enamel (the top layer) as much as possible. We frequently decide the material to be used based upon the results you want-as you’ll see below.

Composite veneers

Composite veneers made using a resin (composite material) that is added directly to the tooth surface in layers. Again — think of this as a small white filling, but instead of only filling the area where you had the chip or the cavity, we’re using the material to build up and reshape the entire tooth. Each layer is carefully placed to create the sought-after length as well as shape of the tooth. We use a special (safe) curing light to finalize the bonding of the material to the tooth, and then we refine, make fine adjustments, and polish the veneers.

Porcelain veneers

Porcelain veneers require a more complex process. With porcelain veneers we prepare the teeth by removing small, planned amounts of tooth structure. We fabricate a mold of the teeth as we would for a crown or cap, and we send the mold to the dental laboratory. The lab will follow our instructions and create thin sheets of porcelain that fit to your teeth. We cement these veneers to your teeth, and then make any fine adjustments we need.

What About Teeth Whitening?

We often use veneers in conjunction with teeth whitening, and we want to complete any whitening treatments first. The reason is that if we place the veneers on the surface of your teeth – and then whiten – there is a chance of a mismatched shade – which we always want to avoid!

How Many Veneers Do I Need?

The number of veneers we place are dependent upon the goal of treatment and the number of teeth that need to be modified. A general guideline is to use the minimum number of veneers we need to help you achieve the cosmetic result you desire.

Are Composite Veneers permanent?

Yes and no. Veneers – whether they are made from composite or porcelain, are restorations that are designed to last many years. But no dental work is truly “permanent” — meaning at some point most dental restorations will need to be replaced. Porcelain veneers require more tooth removal than composite veneers – but the bigger question has to do with the complexity of the treatment and how much of a cosmetic change we are trying to achieve.

Your habits and diet can also dictate how long your veneers (or any dental restoration) will last. For example, if you are someone who likes to chew on bones, or crack ice with your teeth (don’t do that), you are much more likely to fracture a restoration than someone who doesn’t do these things. In addition, if you grind your teeth there are precautions that need to be taken (such as a niteguard as mentioned above) so you don’t prematurely wear out the veneers.

Generally speaking, both types of veneers will last many years before needing replacement, and require the same type of maintenance to keep the restorations and the gums healthy (brushing, flossing, regular dental checkups and cleanings). Note that composite veneers are more susceptible to staining with foods such as red wine and red sauces.

Veneer application procedure

Composite Veneers Procedure (Direct Composite Veneers)

• Once we’ve agreed upon the final shape and size of your teeth and the shade, we will roughen the surfaces of the teeth where needed. (Note that in more complex treatment plans we may have an extra step where we take molds of your teeth, so we can more accurately plan the results).
• Some patients prefer to be numb for the procedure, and others don’t, as the drilling is minimal.
• We add the resin material to the teeth and finalize the shape and size of the teeth.
• Finally, we check your bite, make sure you can floss properly in between the teeth, and the composite is polished for an esthetic, natural shine.

What are the Pros and Cons of Composite Veneers (Direct Composite Veneers) vs Porcelain Veneers (Indirect Veneers)?

As mentioned earlier, composite veneers are veneers created from a composite resin material and applied in layers directly to your teeth. While they are an ideal technique to enhance your smile makeover and boost your confidence, no-prep veneers have their merits and demerits and some areas listed below.

Pros

• Minimal removal of tooth structure
• Lower-cost procedure compared to porcelain veneers for the same teeth
• Less treatment time/chair time
• Veneers are ready the same day using composite material
• Future touch-ups are relatively easy because we are dealing with composite resin and not porcelain.
• A great choice if you only need minor adjustments to the teeth shape, size or color.
• More affordable than porcelain veneers
• Applied in one appointment – veneers are fabricated chairside
• No need to wear temporary veneers

Cons

• Composite veneers will stain more easily when compared to porcelain veneers. This factor may be an issue for people who are heavy wine or coffee drinkers.
• Not as strong as porcelain veneers, and may tend to chip more frequently.
• Cannot be used for treatment plans that require extensive teeth reshaping.
• Cannot be used for some treatment plans where the teeth have very heavy staining.
• Porcelain veneers are often longer lasting than composite veneers

Considering Composite Veneers?

If you are considering composite veneers, or any type of cosmetic dentistry to improve your smile, get in touch with us today and see how Dr. Jack Nagrani can help.