How to Tell Whether to Get Veneers or Bonding

So, you’ve narrowed down the cosmetic dental work you want to two options. You’re now trying to decide between dental bonding and porcelain veneers. Unfortunately, you aren’t sure which one is right for you. Just what is the difference between veneers and bonding? Well, never fear — your Gilbert dentist is here to offer a helping hand. Read on to learn four factors you should consider when choosing porcelain veneers or dental bonding.

Treatment Focus

Granted, veneers and bonding can address many of the same cosmetic issues. However, one can still be better than the other for specific concerns.

Take dental bonding, for instance. Since it only relies on tooth-colored resin, the treatment is suited for correcting minor smile flaws. These might include small tooth stains, slight cracks, and so on.

On the other hand, veneers are a good option for more pronounced problems. They could hide, say, stubborn discoloration or major tooth fractures.

Treatment Prep Work

You should also know that veneers and bonding involve different styles of “prep work.”

With veneers, dentists must remove a small amount of your tooth enamel. Otherwise, the porcelain layers wouldn’t stick to your teeth properly. Furthermore, they’d add unnecessary thickness to your smile.

In contrast, dental bonding requires practically no tooth preparation. Its resin is nontoxic and only needs brief exposure to UV light to harden. As such, it doesn’t harm your oral health and takes little effort to place on your teeth.

Treatment Costs

Of course, you should also assess the varying costs of each treatment.

Price-wise, dental bonding is the cheaper option — at least initially. The downside is that its lack of stain resistance means you may need more cosmetic procedures down the line. You’d also need to replace the bonding more often than a veneer.

Meanwhile, veneers have a higher upfront cost but are still a great investment. Being durable and stain-resistant, they ensure you’ll get a lot of mileage out of them.

Treatment Lifespans

Lastly, keep in mind the varying lifespans of veneers and bonding.

Veneers are durable and stain-resistant, so they last longer than dental bonding. In fact, their lifespan can reach 20 years or more if they get the proper care. Dental bonding, though, can stain over time and thus only lasts 5 to 10 years on average.

Reviewing these factors will give you a good idea of whether to get veneers or bonding. That said, talk to your local dentist before committing to either option.

About the Practice

Desert Springs Dental is based in Gilbert, Arizona. As led by Dr. Shandy Condie, our practice takes a personalized approach to dentistry. In doing so, we perform high-quality preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatments, as well as emergency dental care. The Desert Springs Dental team also offers dental sedation for patients who have dentist-related anxieties. For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (480)-279-3100.