A veneer is a thin layer of material placed over a tooth, either to improve the aesthetics of a tooth or to protect damage to a tooth’s surface. These are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored materials, which require minimum tooth preparation resulting in a very conservative treatment plan.

Minimum thickness ranging from 0.5mm to 0.75mm

There are two main types of material used to fabricate a veneer:

• Composite (Direct veneer), may be fabricated directly in the patients mouth.
• Dental porcelain (Indirect veneer), fabricated in a laboratory which is cemented with a resin cement.

Veneers are routinely used to fix dental problems, but the case selection is very important. Laminates/veneers may be used for the following:

• Teeth that are discolored
• Teeth that are worn down
• Teeth that are chipped or broken
• Teeth that are misaligned, uneven, or irregularly shaped
• Teeth with gaps between them (to close the space between these teeth)