# of Appointments: 2 to 4
Anesthesia: None or minimal
Longevity: About 10 years with good care
Veneers are ultra-thin, custom-crafted porcelain shells that fit over the front surface of your teeth. Matched to your desired shape and shade, they’re highly durable and designed to deliver a beautiful, natural-looking smile for many years.
Suited to:
Creating a whiter, more uniform smile
Mildly misaligned teeth
Misshapen teeth
Severe discoloration or staining
Teeth that are too small or too large
Worn or chipped edges
Closing unwanted or uneven gaps
Porcelain veneers take a minimum of two visits and up to four, depending on your plan, and require little to no anesthesia.
At the first visit, we gently polish and contour the tooth surface to make space for the veneer, take precise impressions, and select the shade together with you and your dentist. At the second visit, the teeth are cleaned with a conditioning liquid to promote a strong bond. A bonding cement is applied between the tooth and the veneer, and a curing light is used to harden and secure the veneer in place.
# of Appointments: 1 or more
Anesthesia: None
Longevity: 5+ years
Composite veneers use a thin layer of tooth-colored resin applied to the front surface of your teeth. Because the material is sculpted directly on the tooth, it can change the shape and colour of your teeth in a single visit.
Suited to:
Creating a whiter, more uniform smile
Severe discoloration or staining
Misshapen teeth
Teeth that are too small
Worn or chipped edges
Composite veneers are created chairside, often in a single visit. We start by applying a gentle conditioning gel to lightly roughen the enamel and improve bonding. Your dentist then selects a shade-matched composite resin and layers it directly onto the tooth, shaping it as we go. Each layer is cured with a special light to harden the material. Finally, the veneer is refined and polished for a smooth, natural-looking finish.
Veneers cover the front surface of a tooth, so they suit concerns you can see when you smile.
Veneers do not treat decay, gum disease or a bite problem. We check those first, and we plan the rest with you at your consultation.
A good veneer candidate has healthy teeth and gums and a clear idea of what they want to change. Your consultation covers three things.
Decay and gum disease come first. Veneers bond to enamel, so the tooth underneath needs to be sound before it is covered.
Porcelain veneers usually need a light layer of enamel removed, and that part cannot be undone. When your enamel and tooth position allow, no-prep veneers keep that removal to little or none. We show you which route fits your teeth before anything is done.
Heavy grinding can chip veneers. If you grind, we plan for it, and you wear a protective nighttime retainer once your veneers are placed.
Veneers change the front of your smile for years, so the planning matters as much as the porcelain. Here is how we approach veneers at our Calgary studio:
Veneers are one way to change a smile, not the only one. Depending on your concern, another treatment can suit you as well or better.
Whitening changes the shade of your natural teeth and does not change their shape. It suits even yellowing. If you want a brighter shade and veneers, we usually whiten first and match the veneers to the new shade.
Porcelain is made in a lab and resists staining. Composite is sculpted directly on the tooth, often in a single visit, and can be repaired if it chips. Both are explained in the tabs above.
Aligners move teeth into a new position, and veneers change how the surface of a tooth looks. For crowding or spacing that comes from tooth position, clear aligners address the cause. For shape, colour or small chips, veneers do.
A crown covers the whole tooth, so it suits a tooth with large fillings, a crack or a root canal. A veneer covers the front only and keeps more of the natural tooth.
Veneers last longer when you look after them the way you look after your natural teeth, with a few extra habits.
Porcelain resists staining, but your natural teeth around it can still stain from coffee, tea and red wine. A longer guide to how long veneers last covers what affects their lifespan.
Porcelain veneers at Vigée Dental are typically $2,000 to $2,500 per tooth. Your exact cost depends on how many teeth are treated, the lab work involved and whether you need any care first, such as a filling or a deep cleaning. We confirm the cost of your plan at your consultation.
Veneers are cosmetic, so insurance plans usually do not cover them. Vigée Dental is fee for service, and financing is available.
Veneers suit healthy teeth and gums with concerns such as staining that whitening cannot fix, chips, small gaps, worn edges or teeth that are slightly uneven. If you have active decay, gum disease or heavy grinding, we treat that first. Some patients qualify for no-prep veneers, which need little to no enamel removal.
Porcelain veneers are custom-made in a lab, resist staining and reflect light much like natural enamel. Composite veneers are sculpted directly on the tooth, often in a single visit, and can be repaired if they chip. At your consultation we compare both for your teeth, your bite and your goals.
With good care, porcelain veneers last about 10 years. Composite veneers usually need refreshing sooner. Wearing your nighttime retainer, not biting hard objects and keeping up with cleanings all help. Read more in how long do veneers last.
Porcelain veneers at Vigée Dental are typically $2,000 to $2,500 per tooth. The total depends on the material, how many teeth are treated and whether you need any care first, such as a cleaning or a filling. We go through the cost of your plan at your consultation. Veneers are cosmetic, so insurance plans usually do not cover them. Vigée Dental is fee for service, and financing is available.
Often not. Porcelain veneers need little or no anesthetic, and many patients do not need any. Composite and no-prep veneers usually need none at all.
They are designed for your face. The shape, length and shade are planned with you, tested in your smile trial and hand-finished for translucency, so they do not look flat or bulky.
Yes, and it is a good idea. Veneers do not change colour with whitening, so if you want a brighter shade overall, we usually whiten your natural teeth first and match the veneers to the new shade.
Our studio is at 1035 64 Ave SE, Unit 170, in Calgary. You can book online or start with a virtual smile consult.
Porcelain veneers take a minimum of two visits and up to four, depending on your plan. Composite veneers are often finished in one visit. Your smile trial, where you wear temporary veneers for about two weeks, happens between visits.
Porcelain veneers usually need a light layer of enamel removed, and that part is permanent. No-prep veneers keep enamel removal to little or none. We explain which type suits your teeth before you decide.
They can hide mild crookedness in the front teeth. If your teeth are crowded or rotated enough that your bite is affected, moving them with clear aligners may be the better first step. We look at both at your consultation.
It depends on how much of your smile shows and what you want to change. Some patients treat one or two teeth. Others treat all the teeth that show when they smile so that the shade and shape match. We plan the number with you during your smile design.
Porcelain resists staining well. Composite can pick up stain over time and can be polished or refreshed. Your natural teeth around the veneers can still stain, which is why we whiten before matching a shade.
Veneers can be replaced when they wear or chip. Because porcelain veneers involve removing a thin layer of enamel, the tooth stays covered by a veneer or another restoration afterward, so we plan veneers as a long-term choice.
