Should you get veneers or bonding for a chipped or uneven tooth? They differ in how much tooth they change and in how a dentist makes them. Veneers vs bonding has no single answer for all chipped or uneven teeth. An exam shows which one fits yours.
Veneers vs bonding: how much of the tooth does each one change?
A veneer covers the front of a tooth, and bonding adds material to it. The American Dental Association (ADA) says veneers cover only the front surface of a tooth rather than the entire tooth structure. It also says treatment is not reversible, because placing a veneer removes tooth enamel.
What a veneer asks of the tooth
For a porcelain veneer, the dentist removes a small amount of enamel from the front and sides of the tooth. Enamel is the hard outer layer, and the ADA says a small amount comes off to accommodate the shell. It also says composite veneers may require less enamel removal. Our post on why dentists recommend crowns explains that enamel does not grow back once the dentist removes it.
What bonding asks of the tooth
The ADA describes bonding as a process where the dentist attaches, or "bonds," materials such as porcelain and resins directly to the tooth. Unlike bonding, it says, a veneer needs a small amount of enamel removed. Ask what, if anything, your dentist would change on your tooth before adding the material.
How does a dentist make each one?
A lab-made porcelain veneer
The ADA lists the steps for a lab-made porcelain veneer. After the tooth is prepared, the dentist takes an impression or uses a scanner to make a 3D computer model. A lab technician custom makes the veneer to fit the tooth, and a temporary veneer may be worn until it is ready. At the fitting, the dentist checks the fit and shape, makes any adjustments, cleans the teeth and bonds the veneer in place. Ask at your exam which steps would apply to your tooth.
A composite veneer
The ADA lists steps only for veneers, not for bonding. For a composite veneer, which uses tooth-colored filling material, the dentist prepares the tooth, then bonds and sculpts the material. The dentist hardens it with a special light, then smooths and polishes it. Ask your dentist how they would build up your tooth.
What happens if a veneer or bonded tooth chips or stains?
Chipping and repair
A veneer can chip too. The ADA says a veneer may chip, crack, wear down or loosen, and the dentist then re-bonds, repairs or replaces it.
What a 2021 review found
A 2021 systematic review in the Journal of Clinical Medicine pooled 25 studies of porcelain laminate veneers, each with at least three years of follow-up. It estimated a 10-year cumulative survival rate of 95.5%. Fracture seems to be the most common complication, followed by debonding.
What the review's full text adds
In most occurrences, the full text says, the studies counted a chip or crack as a failure only when the defect was irreparable. It also says small cohorts and short follow-up may have led to an underestimation of actual failures in some studies. These are pooled study results, not a prediction for one tooth.
Composite veneers and repair
Composite veneers are made from tooth-colored filling material bonded to the tooth. The ADA says they are easier to fix if damaged but not as stain- or wear-resistant. That is the ADA on composite veneers, not on bonding, so ask whether the same applies to a bonded tooth.
Repairing instead of redoing
The FDI World Dental Federation adopted a 2019 policy statement on repairing defective restorations. A restoration is any filling or other material that rebuilds a tooth. The statement says repair preserves the existing tooth structure, while replacing a restoration increases cavity size. It does not mention veneers or bonding, but it frames a useful question: could a chipped edge be repaired instead of redone?
Staining
The ADA says to be cautious with foods and drinks that may stain a veneer, such as coffee, tea or red wine. Ask your dentist how a bonded tooth would hold up to the same foods and drinks.
Veneers vs bonding: when does each fit better?
Bring your dental history, expectations and reservations to the exam. The ADA says your dentist will help you decide about veneers. The questions below are worth bringing too.
Questions to bring if one chip is the concern
If one chip is what bothers you, ask your dentist whether bonding would cover it. Ask whether bonding could also cover a small gap or a stain on that tooth. Then ask what happens if a bonded tooth chips again, and whether your dentist could repair it.
Questions to bring if more than one thing bothers you
If a tooth also looks stained, crooked or misshapen, ask your dentist whether a veneer would cover all of it. The ADA says veneers can improve the appearance of chipped or broken teeth, stained teeth, and crooked or misshapen teeth, and can mask gaps. It also calls porcelain veneers strong and long-lasting.
When might veneers not be a good choice?
The ADA says veneers may not be a good choice if you clench or grind your teeth, or have a deep overbite. It also says your dentist must first treat decay or gum disease, because placing veneers over unhealthy teeth may worsen existing problems. Tell your dentist if you grind, and ask what that means for bonding.
How do I find out which one fits my tooth?
Hanover Dental Care offers veneers and cosmetic bonding. Our porcelain veneers page walks through the steps from consultation to placement. Our smile makeover and bonding page covers what bonding can repair, such as a chip or a small gap. It also describes how a makeover can combine bonding with whitening, veneers or Invisalign.
Chipped or uneven tooth and unsure which way to go? Call Hanover Dental Care in Montpelier at (804) 544-2499, or send a message through our contact page.