Composite Bonding, Composite Veneers & Porcelain Veneers – What’s the difference?

20 June 2024

Composite Bonding, Composite Veneers & Porcelain Veneers – What’s the difference?

Between Instagram transformations and celebrity before and after’s, it’s easy to see why certain treatments are at the top of everybody’s wish lists nowadays. But, do you really know what the difference is between composite bonding, composite veneers and porcelain veneers? Because in terms of cost, treatment time and materials used – they’re actually quite different! That’s why we like to take the time to explain them to you, to ensure you choose the right treatment for you.

Let’s start with Composite Bonding

What is composite bonding?

A popular one on Instagram nowadays, Composite Bonding (also known as cosmetic or dental bonding) can be used for a whole range of dental problems, including chips, cracks, discolouration, fixing small gaps and minor fractures.

The procedure is carried out by a trained dental practitioner, who uses aesthetic high-end composite materials to correct dental imperfections.

What’s involved?

Before treatment begins the dentist will clean your teeth and then prepare the outer surface of the tooth or teeth with an acidic gel to ensure the composite will properly adhere. The colour of your composite will be decided and matched to that of your natural teeth before treatment begins. The resin will be applied to the tooth and then hardened with a blue light to firmly set it.

Once this is done the composite will be polished and moulded into the shape of your natural tooth.

Pros and Cons:

• It’s able to fill, shape and bond teeth in a single visit and is non-invasive and generally pain free.
• The results produced look very natural and blend in well with tooth colour.
• Unlike other restorative treatments the main structure of your teeth is left untouched, to ensure you retain all of your teeth’s natural strength.
• It also a reversible treatment, so if any problems do occur they can easily be rectified.
• They do require more upkeep than Porcelain Veneers.

Composite veneers

What are Composite Veneers?

Composite veneers are custom made from a composite resin that is applied to the surface of the tooth and moulded to the desired shape and finish. They can be used to improve the appearance of natural teeth that have damage, discolouration, are irregularly shaped, improperly aligned and can also fix minor chips or cracks in the teeth.

What’s involved?

The composite is applied directly to the front surface of the teeth and moulded to the required shape and size before being set and bonded to the teeth. The veneers are then finely shaped and polished to achieve the desired appearance. It is relatively straightforward to reshape composite veneers either by adding or removing composite, either at the initial appointment or any follow-up appointments if desired.

Pros and cons:  

• Composite veneers are able to fill and shape teeth in a single visit.
• It’s a minimally invasive treatment and requires minimal prep work on your natural teeth, meaning that they are not permanently altered.
• The results produced look very natural and blend in well with tooth colour.
• They do require more upkeep than Porcelain Veneers, they usually need redoing around every 4-6 years but potentially a lot longer if looked after.

Porcelain Veneers

What are Porcelain Veneers?

After teeth whitening, veneers is one of the most popular cosmetic treatments available at our dental practice. In essence, veneers are a non-surgical solution to a whole host of dental problems including cracked or chipped teeth, stained teeth that can’t be fixed using teeth whitening techniques, slight tooth gaps, or uneven tooth size. Veneers have the ability to restore colour, form and function to your smile fast.

What’s involved?

Veneers consist of ultra thin, shell-like layers of dental porcelain that are placed directly on the outside of your existing teeth. In order to apply the veneer a tiny amount of the tooth surface is removed (usually less than 1mm) so that the veneer sits flush with the rest of the teeth. This allows not only for better aesthetics, but also helps the natural function of the tooth. When the process is completed (usually within 3 months) the patient will have their normal bite function fully restored.

Pros and Cons:

• Because veneers are individually crafted it’s almost impossible to tell them apart from the rest of your teeth. Also, because dental porcelain is stain proof, veneers can resist stains from tea, coffee, red wine, and tobacco far better than natural teeth.
• In contrast to crowns, fitting veneers means more of the underlying tooth remains intact so there’s less chance of the tooth becoming compromised.
• Veneers are an efficient way to deal with small tooth gaps, minor twists and overlaps without having to resort to longer, more complex procedures.
• Maintenance is simple. Just like your normal teeth, regular brushing and flossing is all that’s required to keep them in tip-top condition.
• Of our the three treatments discussed in this blog, porcelain veneers are the most durable, but with that comes a considerably higher price point.

To summarise 

What’s the difference between composite veneers and composite bonding?

In terms of the material they are both the same.  However, composite veneers cover the entire surface of the tooth, whilst composite bonding normally covers part of the tooth.

What’s the difference between composite veneers and porcelain veneers?

Composite veneers are usually placed in one appointment, making it a noticeably quicker treatment than porcelain veneers, which have to be custom made in a lab.

Arguably the biggest advantage that composite veneers have over porcelain is reversibility. Porcelain requires reshaping of your natural teeth in order to fit the veneer. When it comes to composites, minimal prep work is required on your natural teeth, meaning that they are not permanently altered to such an extent that the composite material cannot be removed and replaced as needed.

At the end of the day, the only way to determine whether composite bonding, veneers or porcelain veneers is right for you is to speak with the team here at Cheadle Hulme Dental and Cosmetics about your aesthetic goals and to weigh your personal considerations. To find out more, visit our website or give us a call to book a consultation on 0161-486-0743