Wellington:
(04) 801 6228
Lower Hutt:
(04) 570 0520
If there's a tooth you've stopped showing in photos, or a chip or stain you catch every time you look in the mirror, veneers are one of the most straightforward ways to put it right. A veneer is a thin layer of porcelain that sits over the front of a tooth, changing its shape, colour or position without touching the rest of it. Done well, the result doesn't look like dental work. It looks like your own teeth, on a good day.
The thing that holds most people back isn't the procedure. It's the not-knowing: will they look right, will they look fake, will I regret it? That's the part we've built our whole approach around. Before any tooth is touched, you get to see the design of your new smile and say yes or no to it. More on that below. Have a read at your own pace, and if anything doesn't make sense, ask.
A veneer is a thin shell of porcelain, custom-made to fit over the front of a tooth. We use porcelain because it handles light the way real enamel does, so it looks natural rather than flat or chalky, and we can match it to the shade you want. Think of it as giving the tooth a new front, rather than replacing the whole tooth.
That's what makes a veneer one of the more conservative cosmetic options. Unlike a crown, which caps the whole tooth, a veneer only covers the front, so most of your own tooth stays as it is. It's a small change that can make a large difference to how a tooth, or a whole row of them, looks.
Veneers are good at fixing teeth that are chipped, stained in a way whitening won't shift, slightly crooked, worn down, or have small gaps between them. They're a cosmetic fix, not a structural one, so if a tooth has a deeper problem we'll deal with that first and talk to you honestly about whether a veneer is the right call at all.
This is where our approach is genuinely different, and it's worth understanding before you decide anything. We're the only Digital Smile Design certified clinic in Wellington, and what that means for you is simple: you get to see the result before you commit to it.
Using Digital Smile Design, we design your new smile on screen, shaped around your own face, not a template. You look at it, tell us what you'd change, and we adjust it until it's right. Only once you're happy with the design do we start any actual work. So the question "will I like how they look?" gets answered up front, while everything is still just a picture and nothing is permanent.
Most cosmetic decisions ask you to trust and hope. This one lets you see and choose. For a change to your smile that you'll live with for years, that's the difference that matters.
Veneers aren't always the right answer, and we'd rather tell you that than sell you the bigger treatment. The main alternative is composite bonding, where we build up the tooth with a tooth-coloured material applied directly, in a single visit, with little or no tooth preparation.
Here's the honest trade-off. Bonding is cheaper, faster, and reversible, and it's a great fit for smaller fixes like a single chip or a minor gap. The downside is it doesn't last as long and can stain or chip over time. Porcelain veneers cost more and take a couple of visits, but they hold their colour, resist staining, and last far longer, often well over ten years. For a full smile change, or anything you want to last, veneers usually win. For a small touch-up, bonding often makes more sense.
When you come in, we'll look at what you actually want to change and tell you straight which one fits, including when the cheaper option is the better one for you
Getting veneers usually takes two visits, after the design stage:
Design first. We work out your new smile on screen with Digital Smile Design, and refine it together until you're happy. Nothing is touched until you've signed off on the look.
Preparing the teeth. At the first treatment visit, we gently shape the front of each tooth, usually removing less than a millimetre, so the veneer sits flush and looks natural. Often this needs little or no numbing. We take a precise scan of your teeth so your veneers can be made to fit exactly.
A temporary set, sometimes. Depending on how much shaping was needed, you may wear temporary veneers for a couple of weeks while your final ones are crafted. This isn't always necessary.
Fitting the final veneers. Once your veneers are ready, we fit them, check the look and the bite, and make any small adjustments until they feel and look right. If anything isn't quite how you want it at this stage, tell us. We'd rather get it right than have you live with something that's nearly right.
Once they're on, you look after them much like your own teeth: normal brushing and flossing, regular check-ups. If you grind your teeth at night, we may suggest a nightguard to protect them, since porcelain can chip under heavy grinding.
Cost is a fair thing to ask about early, and we'd rather be plain than make you hunt for it. Veneers are priced per tooth, so the total depends on how many you're having done. Some people want a single tooth matched to the rest; others want a full upper set that shows when they smile. Both are normal, and the number follows the plan.
As a guide for veneers cost in NZ, our porcelain veneers are $2,100 per tooth. At your consultation we'll work out exactly how many teeth are involved in the change you want, and give you a clear total before any work begins, so there are no surprises. (Once it's live, link the new "porcelain veneers NZ" blog here for the full breakdown.)
A full smile's worth of veneers is a significant cost, and we won't pretend otherwise. But it's also a one-off change you'll see every day for years, and where it helps, we can talk through how to stage or spread it. We'll also be honest if bonding or whitening would get you most of the way there for less. The aim is the result you actually want, not the biggest treatment we can do.
Veneers suit healthy teeth that need a cosmetic change rather than a repair. If your gums or teeth need attention first, we'll sort that before we talk veneers, because porcelain belongs on a healthy foundation. Heavy grinding, very little enamel, or certain bite issues can also affect whether veneers are the best choice, and we'll tell you honestly if they're not.
The best way to find out is to come in and see what's possible for your own teeth, designed on screen, before you decide anything.
If there's something about your smile you'd change, come in and we'll show you what veneers could do for it, on screen, before a single tooth is touched. You'll get a straight view of your options, an honest take on whether veneers or something simpler fits, and a clear cost. We're at both our Wellington and Lower Hutt clinics. No rush, call either one when you're ready.
Wellington: 04 801 6228 Lower Hutt: 04 570 0520
At Supreme Dental Concepts, we provide a comprehensive selection of cosmetic dentistry services designed to give you the confident smile you desire.
Our commitment extends to ensuring you look your absolute best.
As dentists, our training in injection techniques and facial anatomy during dental school equips us to preserve your youthful appearance, complementing your beautiful teeth.
