Porcelain Veneers Vs Composite Bonding

Written by gentle_24



Cosmetic Dentistry



June 10, 2023

Are you looking for a gentle dentist for you cosmetic dental treatments? Here at Gentle and Caring Dentistry in Maroubra we offer a range of cosmetic treatments for patients looking to upgrade their smile.

So why do people seek out cosmetic dental treatments such as Composite Bonding, Teeth Whitening and Porcelain Veneers to enhance their smile? According The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, patients choose cosmetic dentistry for a number of different reasons:

Choosing the most appropriate treatment

Here at Gentle and Caring Dentistry, we offer a variety of cosmetic dental treatments to help patients achieve the smile they desire:

Thanks to advances in dental technology and design, we are able to enhance our smile beyond simply teeth whitening treatments.

Want to change the shape, size, colour or even alignment of your teeth?

If this sounds like you, rather than opting for expensive orthodontic treatments or restorations you could be a candidate for porcelain veneers or composite bonding. Both of these treatments provide a sort of mask over your teeth to give them a different appearance.

Compare them perhaps to semi-permanent false nails but for your teeth. After the teeth are prepared (both treatments require different preparations – see below) the cosmetic treatment will then be set. This will leave you with a long-lasting beauty cover over the top of them to give you a full and white bright smile.

Porcelain Veneers Vs Composite Bonding: What’s the difference?

Although both treatments work towards achieving a beautiful smile, both treatments vary in a number of different ways. Generally the key contributing factors to which treatment you might prefer would depend on:

How much you want to change your smile
How long you want them to last
How permanent you want the change to be

Thanks to a smile survey conducted by The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry we now know that 1 in 2 participants believe that a dazzling smile will always be an attractive feature on someone, no matter their age. So how do you deem which cosmetic treatment will be most appropriate?

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers here at Gentle and Caring Dentistry are designed as thin porcelain shells that are about as thin as contact lenses. Custom designed to suit your unique smile, porcelain veneers can effectively conceal a wide range of dental flaws.

Your veneer treatment will generally be conducted over two appointments in which we will assess your smile in great detail, discuss your smile desires, how you want the overall result to look and then tailor a personalised treatment plan to reflect this.

We will prepare the teeth by removing a thin amount of enamel from each tooth and then generate an accurate mould of your smile. Using this mould we will have your veneers fabricated to suit your desires and during your second appointment your veneers will be bonded to the teeth.

Thanks to the durability of the material, with good care and maintenance porcelain veneers can generally last up to 10-15 years. The treatment is cosmetically pleasing and can be colour-matched to the exact shade of your tooth enamel.

Composite Bonding

Dental composite bonding is a procedure that uses a composite resin in order to restore small dental flaws such as chips or cracks, or to cosmetically enhance the appearance of a smile.

The treatment involves roughening the surface of the teeth then applying resin to the teeth and expertly shaping it into your desired appearance. Once you have approved the new shape and look of the teeth, we then harden the resin in place with a special activating light.

The whole procedure is virtually painless and can be completed in a single appointment. Generally the patient experiences no discomfort. Although they are still made from durable materials, they probably will not last quite as long as porcelain veneers. Composite bonding also offers a significantly lower price point than porcelain veneers.