A veneer is a thin layer of restorative material placed over a tooth surface, either to improve the aesthetics of a tooth, or to protect a damaged tooth surface. There are two main types of material used to fabricate a veneer, composite and dental porcelain.

A composite veneer may be directly placed (built-up in the mouth), or indirectly fabricated by a dental technician in a dental laboratory, and later bonded to the tooth, typically using a resin cement.

Porcelain veeners, alternatively termed dental veneers or dental porcelain laminates, are wafer-thin shells of porcelain that are bonded on the front side of teeth to create a cosmetic improvement for a tooth.

Lumineers

As wonderful as television ads make them sound, they are not for everyone. Lumineers is a porcelain veneer that can be made as thin as a contact lens and is placed over existing teeth with little or no tooth reduction (unlike traditional veneers).

Lumineers is a terrific cosmetic solution for permanently stained, chipped, discolored, misaligned teeth, or even to revitalize old crown and bridgework.