What’s the difference between Porcelain and Composite Veneers?
If you want to brighten, straighten and improve your smile, veneers are an excellent solution! There are two common types of dental veneers: porcelain and composite – however the procedure and materials are vastly different.
Although porcelain veneers are more natural in appearance and generally last a lot longer, people often opt for composite veneers as a quicker and often cheaper treatment option – but there are drawbacks in using composite resin which can include longevity, their ability to resist staining, and complete reliance on the technical and artistic skills of the treating dentist.
So, what are the key differences between composite veneers (also known as composite bonding) and the latest GlamSmile ultra-thin porcelain veneer technology?
GlamSmile ultra-thin veneers are custom designed porcelain restorations that are bonded to the outer surfaces of your teeth, improving the shape, colour, and appearance. Each veneer is carefully designed by a team of ceramists and technicians in partnership with the dentist using a 3D using a scan of your teeth to ensure a precision fit and harmonious appearance. Composite veneers on the other hand are completely the realm of just one dentist, who must rely on their technical and artistic skills alone to carefully hand layer and shape the composite resin over the outer surface and blend with the natural teeth. To apply a very thin layer of composite over the teeth and achieve a harmonious shape and finish that is not bulky or unnatural requires a great deal of experience and knowledge.
GlamSmile veneers are made of stain-resistant porcelain called ‘emax’. This specially developed ceramic material has lustrous optical properties that catch and refract the light similar to natural teeth. Despite recent improvements in composite resin materials, composite veneers can still often look much flatter, opaque and less natural than porcelain. They are also prone to becoming dull and losing their shine over time and are more easily prone to staining.
In the past, composite veneers were much generally the most cost-effective and time-efficient method for improving the shape and colour of teeth and could be completed in one visit. Thanks to GlamSmile’s precision veneers and minimally-invasive smile design, treatment does not require heavy teeth reduction as required in the past with porcelain veneers – and can be safely bonded over teeth in as little as one hour.
You may think of porcelain as fragile, but once an ultra-thin porcelain veneer is strongly bonded to your existing tooth, much like a bathroom tile stuck to solid wall, it is reinforced by the strength of the underlying tooth, allowing a thin layer to to easily cover imperfections and improve the entire colour and shape of a smile. With proper care, GlamSmile porcelain veneers can last for 10 – 20 years. Composite veneers on the other hand are prone to chipping, disintegration and staining; and generally require replacement every 4 to 6 years to retain an acceptable aesthetic appearance.
In the past, composite veneers cost significantly less than porcelain veneers. Thanks to GlamSmile you can transform your smile with high-quality, customised porcelain veneers at a cost much closer to what dentists generally quote for composite resin bonding.