Porcelain or Composite?
Two ways to change the shape and colour of your smile. How they differ in preparation, appearance, lifespan, repairs and cost, and how to decide.
Should I Choose Porcelain or Composite Veneers?
Porcelain veneers last longer, often 10 to 15 years or more, and resist staining, but a thin layer of enamel usually has to be removed, which can't be reversed. Composite veneers are built by hand in one or two visits with little or no preparation and cost less, but they can stain and chip, and last around three to five years on average before a refresh. At St Vincent Smile in Finnieston, Glasgow, porcelain veneers are from £695 and composite from £395 per tooth, and both start with a smile design and a trial smile.
What Veneers Are
Veneers are thin layers bonded to the front of the teeth. They can change colour, shape and length, close small gaps, and make slightly uneven teeth look straighter. They're made either from porcelain, in a laboratory, or from composite, built up by hand in the chair.
Both do the same job from the outside. The differences are in how much of your tooth is involved, how they're made, how long they last, what happens when they chip, and what they cost. Whichever you choose, the process at St Vincent Smile starts the same way: a free consultation, a digital smile design on your own face, and a trial smile in your mouth before anything permanent is done.
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are made in a laboratory from an iTero Lumina scan of your teeth, with no putty impressions. A thin layer of enamel, often around half a millimetre, is usually removed under local anaesthetic so the veneer sits naturally without looking bulky. That step can't be undone, so the teeth will always need veneers afterwards.
In return, porcelain is the most lifelike material available. It reflects light like enamel, keeps its colour and resists staining, which is why it often lasts 10 to 15 years or more. Treatment takes about three visits over three to four weeks, with temporary veneers in between. Porcelain suits stubborn discolouration that whitening can't shift, a single dark tooth, heavily filled front teeth, old veneers that need replacing, and anyone who wants one long-term change across several teeth.
Design It Before You Commit
Your smile design consultation includes a digital design and the option of a trial smile.
Composite Veneers
Composite veneers are sculpted directly onto your teeth by hand, in layers of different shades and translucencies, usually in one or two visits. Little or no enamel is removed, most people need no injection, and your dentist will discuss exactly what your teeth need. Where a small amount of enamel is reshaped, it gives a seamless join and a larger surface to bond to.
They cost less than porcelain and are priced like our bonding packages, which include whitening. The trade-off is that composite can stain and chip over time, and needs a refresh more often, on average every three to five years. Chips can usually be repaired in one short visit rather than the veneer being remade. Composite suits a gentle, conservative change on healthy, unrestored teeth, and people who want to live with a new smile before deciding on porcelain.
Side by Side
| Feature | Porcelain veneers | Composite veneers |
|---|---|---|
| Tooth preparation | A thin layer of enamel, usually. Not reversible | Little or none, discussed with you first |
| Appearance | The most lifelike | Very natural |
| Staining | Highly resistant | Can stain over time |
| Typical lifespan | 10 to 15 years or more | 3 to 5 years on average |
| Visits | About three | One or two |
| If it chips | Usually remade | Usually repaired in one visit |
| Fee | From £695 per tooth | From £395 per tooth |
Both begin with the same smile design and trial smile, and both need the same care afterwards.2
Cost Over Time
Per tooth, composite costs less now: £395 against from £695 for porcelain.2 Over the years the gap narrows, because composite needs refreshing every three to five years on average while porcelain often lasts 10 to 15 years or more. If you're planning to keep the smile for a long time and want it to stay the same colour, porcelain can be the better value despite the higher starting price.
Composite has two advantages that don't show up in a fee list. It keeps more of your own tooth, and it can be repaired rather than remade. Neither type is included in the dental plan discount, and treatment of £1,500 or more can be spread through Chrysalis Finance, subject to status. Our veneers cost guide sets out typical totals for six, eight and ten teeth.
Which Suits You?
Porcelain usually suits people who want a long-term change across several teeth, the best colour stability, or a bigger change to heavily restored or very dark teeth, where composite would have to be built thick to hide the colour.
Composite usually suits people who want a gentle, conservative change, have healthy unrestored teeth, or want to see how they feel about a new smile before considering porcelain. It's also the better choice if you'd rather keep every option open, because nothing irreversible has been done.
Two things change the recommendation. Crowded teeth are usually better straightened first with Invisalign, so that either type of veneer can be thinner. And if you grind or clench, tell us: composite chips more easily but is repairable, porcelain is harder-wearing but can fracture under heavy force, and either way a night guard protects the result.
See It First
Whichever you choose, we design the new smile on photographs of your own face, then place a trial smile in your mouth so you can see, feel and photograph it before anything permanent is done. Nothing is drilled for the trial smile, and it's removed at the same appointment. If you'd like anything changed, the design is adjusted until you're happy, and only then does it become the blueprint for your veneers.
Your smile design and trial smile are included in your treatment fee. For porcelain, the approved design also tells your dentist exactly how much preparation each tooth needs, which is how we keep it to a minimum. Our trial smile guide explains what to check while it's in.
Looking After Veneers
- Wear a night guard if you grind your teeth. A custom one is £210
- Don't bite hard objects such as pens, ice or nutshells, and don't open packets with your teeth
- Brush twice a day with a non-abrasive toothpaste and clean between your teeth
- Keep your dental examinations and hygiene visits, where composite is polished and porcelain edges are checked
- Porcelain resists staining, but the edges can still pick up stain from tea, coffee and smoking
Neither type can be whitened, so if you'd like whiter teeth overall, we whiten your natural teeth before the veneers are made. Our bonding care guide covers composite in more detail.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.