Treatment guide

Veneers

Image showing how a veneer is placed onto a tooth.

Dental veneers can restore or enhance the natural appearance of teeth. Veneers are thin, tooth-replicating shells that are permanently fixed onto the front side of your teeth to give them a straightened, whitened appearance. Though mostly undertaken on cosmetic grounds, if you've sustained damage such as chipping to your teeth, veneers can also be applied to restore them.

Veneers have become increasingly popular in the past few years. Once reserved for celebrities, veneers are now more common thanks to affordable prices with overseas dental treatment.

What Are Veneers?

Veneers are custom-made shells that are typically made from ceramic (porcelain) or composite resin materials. In order to apply them to the best fit, the dentist will first have to shave down your natural enamel. These are then bonded to your teeth using a specially formulated dental adhesive cement, as having veneers is a permanent commitment.

Though private dental insurances may cover veneers in some cases, most patients end up covering the costs for them themselves. Depending on the number of teeth you'd like covered by them, it can add up to a few thousand even for a small set of veneers; UK dental clinics, for example, can charge over £6,000 for eight. That is why so many people make the trip to countries like Turkey to restore their teeth; veneers at Turkish clinics can be thousands cheaper, without there being any compromise on quality. At Qunomedical, we can help you find the best dentist at a vetted, renowned clinic that is guaranteed to give you a good price on professional work.

How are Veneers Made?

Porcelain veneers are produced in dental laboratories, following the exact specifications passed on by the dentist after ascertaining the patient's individual needs. The lab crafts each veneer shell with an array of precision tools, working off of the desired dental impression and the pre-decided colour and shape that the patient wants.

The making stage is the longest part of the veneers process. Mostly, patients have to wait around two weeks until the lab has finished their veneers; teeth are fitted with temporary veneers in the meantime. However, another reason why many people go abroad for their treatment is because these clinics have managed to reduce the time needed to produce high-quality veneers. UK practices are mostly amongs those that require the full two weeks or more.

The content has been reviewed for quality and accuracy to the best of our knowledge by Qunomedical and its Medical Board of Experts.

Before / After Photos

What Types of Veneers Are There?

There are two major types of veneers. Frontal — when the veneers are applied to the front of teeth — and palatal — when they’re applied to the back of teeth. Frontal veneers are the most common type and can be made from either porcelain or composite, each of which come with their own pros and cons.

Porcelain Veneers - Strong and Sturdy

Although more expensive and time-consuming, porcelain veneers have many qualities that make the inconvenience worthwhile.

Porcelain veneers usually need some extra dental work to prepare the teeth for bonding, but they have some significant benefits. They tend to reflect light more naturally, mimicking the effect of tooth enamel better. They’re also stronger, can last longer than composite alternatives, and resist staining more effectively with proper care.

Composite Veneers - Affordable and Fast

Composite veneers can be more convenient than porcelain alternatives, as they’re more affordable and need fewer visits to the dentist. They can be created in one sitting as you wait and require less drilling and processing of your teeth.

However, composite veneers are usually less hard-wearing than porcelain veneers, and will generally have to be replaced within five years of installation. Often, they’re also more susceptible to staining and don’t always have a natural-looking toothlike translucency, which can compromise their cosmetic qualities.

Additional Options: No-Prep Veneers and Same-Day Veneers

A no-prep veneer is exactly that – no prep required. It’s much thinner than a traditional veneer and doesn’t require any tooth preparation. The most widely used brands include LUMINEERS®, Vivaneers™, and DURAthin®. 

Same-day veneers are designed to be prepared and placed on the same day.

How Much do Veneers Cost?

The prices of dental veneers can vary quite widely and ultimately depend on where you get them done, as well as the materials used and the amount you get. As is already well-known, there are several countries especially well known for the good quality and comparably low costs. These countries and cities are:

Many of these countries are specialised in serving international patients and we have long partnerships with the best clinics there, so feel free to check out the country articles or reach out to us directly.

CountryPrice (EUR €)
Turkey€1,800
Croatia€2,650
Hungary€3,100
Germany€4,800
United Kingdom€6,500

At Qunomedical, we only work with dentists that we've personally vetted and certified as experienced professionals. We'll make sure you see an expert, so you can go into your veneers appointment with the certainty that you're at a safe, quality clinic. What's more, by going abroad you will also save a lot more money.

Check out our detailed veneers cost guide for more information and for some average prices for veneers around the world.

Will My National Health Service Cover My Veneers Procedure?

Unfortunately, services like the NHS don't usually offer patients dental veneers, however, the rare occasion may arise if the procedure is deemed medically necessary. Hence, why most patients pay for their veneers privately.

What Does a Veneer Procedure Involve?

Preparing to get veneers involves several separate steps and stages. If you have veneers fitted at your local dentist, the process may take a few weeks to complete, depending on the facilities your dental office has.

1. Dental Consultation

First, you need to send x-rays of your teeth so your dentist can make sure that your teeth are suitable for the treatment. Once approved, you’ll have the first consultation with your dentist. Your dentist will examine your teeth, look for signs of damage or decay, and discuss what the translucency, brightness, and colour of your veneers will be.

2. Preparation of Your Teeth

Precision tools are used to remove the outer layer of enamel from the teeth being treated. This process is known as ‘shaving down’ and it’s important to know that your dentist will only shave down enough enamel so that your veneers don’t look bulky once they’re fitted.

3. Making the Mould

Once the teeth have been prepared, your dentist will then make a mould to construct the veneers that specially fit your teeth. The mould will then be sent to a dental laboratory which will use it to produce exact replicas of the damaged teeth.

If you’re having veneers fitted locally, the production can take around 2-4 weeks. If you’re having treatment abroad, it can be completed in 5-7 days. But, the amount of time you need to be abroad can vary depending on whether a dental clinic onsite is available to produce your veneers or if an external partner dental lab will make them.

While you wait for your veneers, you’ll be provided with temporary ones to wear while the permanent veneers are being made.

4. Bonding the Veneer

Once the permanent veneers are ready, the next step is the bonding procedure. The teeth are polished and then etched to create a suitable bonding site for the cement and the veneer. 

After that, the dental cement is applied to the teeth and the veneer is attached. The dentist will use a special focused light to tightly bond the veneer to the tooth. This process only takes a few minutes. Finally, any excess cement will be removed, leaving the veneer in place and restoring the natural appearance of your teeth.

Travelling to have veneers abroad can give you access to some of the most experienced and renowned dentists in the industry. As previously mentioned, some of the most popular locations for this treatment include Turkey and Croatia, with high-quality facilities on offer at an affordable price.

At Qunomedical, we also give you the option to view a list of dentist profiles. This allows you to check their qualifications, experience, accreditations, and read reviews from past patients. Dr. Martina Karlo in Croatia for example, has over 17 years of experience and has performed over 14,000 dental procedures.

Why Choose Qunomedical?

Qunomedical believes in a patient first approach to healthcare. By striving to open up access to high-quality, affordable healthcare for all, we’re here to help you throughout every step of your treatment journey. 

100% free, non-binding assessment: Regardless of whether you're just looking for some information, or are ready to book your veneers treatment, we offer a 100% free, non-binding assessment to every patient.

Best price guarantee: We’ve done the legwork to find a combination of high-quality doctors who offer affordable treatment. If you find the same treatment at the same clinic offered cheaper somewhere else, we’ll match the price.

Professionally vetted dentists: Our proprietary scoring system, Qunoscore, assesses doctors on over 20 data points, including qualifications, experience, accreditations, services offered, and reviews from past patients.

All-inclusive packages: Many high-quality dental clinics abroad offer all-inclusive treatment packages — covering things like accommodation, airport shuttle services, and transfers to and from the clinic — to ensure that your treatment journey runs as smoothly as possible.

Looking for a real and genuine insight into what it's like to travel abroad to get veneers? Check out the video below where Ruba talks about her journey of booking through Qunomedical and travelling abroad for treatment.

Veneers Reviews

Veneers Reviews

4.9
Treatment was the best you can get
★★★★★
20.09.2023

Treatment was the best you can get. The staff were very very helpful and as for the dentist her self, she went above and beyond in every way. Pick up from airport and hotel excellent with plenty of notice. Despite language differences the chaperone was always there to translate. I'm not a fan of dentist but they did ease me into treatment and explaine everything on the way. All in all the best you can expect and more.

Andrew Postans
  • Trustpilot
  • Vivi Dental Clinic Antalya (Part of AnteraPark Group)
  • Veneers
Highly recommend Quonomedical…
★★★★★
14.09.2023

From the first minute of my online enquiry Quonomedical were second to none. I first spoke with a guy called Umair, who was friendly knowledgeable, professional, informative, efficient and helpful. Within a very short time he had arranged a quotation, a plan and a package for both my daughter and myself. He was on hand in these early stages for any questions I had and was able to answer them all to my satisfaction. When the time came he then handed our case over to our dental clinic in Izmir - DENTAGLOBAL - leaving an open line of communication with Quonomedical’s Sandy, who remained as our contact throughout our trip and our treatment. We never felt we were alone on what could have been quite a daunting experience. We were taken care of every step of the way, down to Sandy messaging our door code for our accommodation. I would highly recommend Quonomedical for anyone wishing to arrange treatment - Dental or otherwise - abroad. Thanks everyone at Quonomedical, I know there’s one guy whose name I do not have to hand who was there in between Umair and Sandy who was also most helpful - so thank you to you too :-)

Susan Mc Hugh
Tina was very helpful and responsive
★★★★★
02.09.2023

Tina was very helpful and responsive. Answered all of my questions and checked to verify information for me

Lucia Valente
Veneers
★★★★☆
17.08.2023

Organization, communication and hotel were very good. Treatment and clinic was good. Not so good: Planned treatment: veneers. Crowns done without a note.

Jan
Frieda

Patient manager

Frieda

Your personal Patient Manager

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