Cosmetic
Porcelain and composite veneers, designed around you.
Custom-crafted shells that transform the shape, colour and alignment of your front teeth. Two paths — porcelain or composite — depending on your goals, timeline and budget.
What veneers are
A veneer is a thin shell bonded to the front surface of a tooth — covering chips, gaps, discolouration or minor alignment issues. The tooth underneath is preserved as much as possible; only a small amount of enamel is removed to make room for the veneer.
Two materials, two different conversations:
- Porcelain — lab-crafted, custom-fitted, takes two visits. Strong, stain-resistant, and looks closest to natural enamel. With proper care, porcelain veneers typically last 15–25 years.
- Composite — applied directly to the tooth in a single visit. More affordable up front, and easier to repair. Composite veneers typically last 5–7 years before needing to be refreshed or replaced.
Most patients choose porcelain when they want the longest-lasting, most natural-looking result. Composite makes sense when you want a single-visit change, a smaller budget, or a less invasive option.
Choosing between porcelain and composite
Both options can transform your smile — the right one depends on what you're optimising for.
| Porcelain | Composite | |
|---|---|---|
| Visits | Three visits — consultation and scan, prep with temporaries, then final fit | One visit — shaped chairside |
| Lifespan | 15–25 years with proper care | 5–7 years before refresh or replace |
| Material | Lab-fabricated ceramic | Tooth-coloured composite resin |
| Appearance | Most natural — translucency mirrors enamel | Excellent, slightly less light-passing than porcelain |
| Tooth preparation | A small amount of enamel removed (usually irreversible) | Minimal prep — often little or no enamel removed |
| Maintenance | Stain-resistant ceramic surface | Can stain or chip over time — refresh or replace more often |
| Repair | Replace the veneer if damaged | Re-bonded and reshaped at the chair |
| Cost | Higher up-front | Lower up-front |
In your consultation, we'll talk through your goals, photograph your current smile, scan with our 3Shape TRIOS, and walk you through how each option would look on your teeth. You leave with a quote and a plan — no surprises later.
What to expect — porcelain
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Visit 1
Consultation and scan. We discuss your goals, photograph your current smile, and take a digital 3D scan with our 3Shape TRIOS scanner. If you'd like to preview the result before committing, we can run a Digital Smile Design so you see the proposed shape, colour and alignment before any treatment begins.
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Visit 2
Prep and temporaries. We gently shape a small amount of enamel from each tooth being veneered (under local anaesthetic), take a final scan, and fit you with temporary veneers in the new shape. The temporaries let you test-drive the look while the lab crafts your porcelain veneers — usually 2–3 weeks.
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Visit 3
Final fit. When your porcelain veneers come back from the lab, we remove the temporaries, check colour and shape against the scan, and bond the veneers into place. Most patients leave the same day with their permanent veneers fitted.
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Follow-up
Aftercare. Veneers are cared for like natural teeth — twice-daily brushing, daily flossing, regular cleans. A night splint may be recommended if you grind. We'll check the veneers at your six-month review.
For composite veneers, the process collapses into a single visit — consult, scan, prep, shape and polish all happen chairside. Most composite cases finish in 60–120 minutes per tooth.
Common questions
Will it hurt?
Local anaesthetic is standard during the prep visit. Most patients describe the sensation as pressure or brief discomfort rather than sharp pain. After the prep, the temporaries are comfortable enough to eat and speak normally — though we recommend avoiding very hot, very cold or hard foods until the final veneers are bonded.
How long do veneers last?
Porcelain veneers typically last 15–25 years with proper care — daily oral hygiene, regular cleans, and a night splint if you grind. Composite veneers typically last 5–7 years before they need to be refreshed or replaced.
How much do veneers cost?
The cost depends on how many teeth you're treating, the material chosen, and the complexity of the case. We quote in full at your consultation — including any health-fund rebate and your gap. Interest-free in-house payment plans are available for larger plans. See Payment options.
Will my health fund cover veneers?
Most health funds classify cosmetic procedures like veneers as "extras" and limit or exclude cover. If a veneer is being placed on a damaged or worn tooth where the treatment is functional as well as cosmetic, your fund may rebate a portion. We recommend checking with your fund before treatment — we'll provide the ADA item codes so you can confirm what's covered.
Are veneers reversible?
Composite veneers are the less invasive option — they can often be removed or refreshed with the underlying tooth largely preserved, though some surface enamel may have been prepared for bonding. Porcelain veneers involve removing a small amount of enamel, so they're a long-term commitment once placed. We discuss all of this fully at your consultation before any prep work begins.
Can I just whiten my teeth instead?
If your only concern is the colour of your teeth — not shape, alignment, gaps or chips — then teeth whitening is usually the simpler, less invasive answer. We'll raise this in your consultation if it looks like the right path. Veneers are the right call when shape, alignment or surface defects also need addressing.
Cost & funding
HICAPS on the spot. If your health fund rebates a portion of the treatment (more likely on functional cases than purely cosmetic), we claim at the chair — you only pay the gap. Interest-free in-house payment plans are available for larger plans, and we accept Afterpay / Humm / Zip on request. Full detail on Payment options.
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Ready to talk it through?
Veneers start with a consultation, a scan, and an honest conversation about what's right for your smile. Book online or call to chat first.