Veneers or whitening? Choosing the right smile treatment

Both treatments can make a smile brighter, but they work very differently. Whitening changes the colour of your own enamel. Veneers cover the front of the teeth to change colour, shape and length.

Choose whitening when…

• your teeth are healthy and well shaped,
• the main problem is colour from food, drinks or age,
• you want a non-invasive option.

Read is teeth whitening safe?

Consider veneers when…

• teeth are chipped, worn or unevenly shaped,
• there are small gaps,
• stains do not respond to whitening,
• old fillings on front teeth have discoloured.

Important to know about veneers

Most veneers need some enamel to be prepared, so the decision is usually permanent. Veneers can chip, and their colour cannot be whitened later — that is why whitening is normally done before veneers. Grinding your teeth needs a night guard; see teeth grinding.

Bonding: the middle option

Composite bonding adds tooth-coloured material to repair small chips or close small gaps, often with little or no drilling.

Questions to ask

1. Can whitening or bonding achieve my goal?
2. How much tooth will be prepared?
3. Can I see a trial smile first?
4. How should I look after them?

Design shape and shade in the smile design simulator, and read the truth about the “Hollywood smile”.