Veneers and enamel preservation
How tooth preparation is decided and why enamel matters.
On this page
Are teeth always reduced for veneers?
No. It depends on the position of the tooth, its shape and how much the final volume has to change. I do not promise "no preparation" for every case, because not every case allows it.
A small tooth, or one sitting toward the inside, can receive a veneer with minimal or even no preparation. A bulky tooth, or one tilted outward, needs a layer of enamel removed, otherwise the veneer would look oversized.
To decide, I plan backwards: I start from the final shape, modelled on a wax-up and checked with a mock-up, and I remove only what is needed for the ceramic to fit. This way I keep enamel, which is the best surface to bond to.
How much enamel should be kept?
As much as possible, especially at the bonding margin. Bonding to enamel is more predictable than bonding to dentine.
Enamel thickness varies from tooth to tooth and within the same tooth: it is usually thicker toward the incisal edge and thinner toward the neck. Preparation is guided by a silicone key made on the wax-up, and the thickness removed is checked as I work. In minimally invasive veneers we are usually talking about a few tenths of a millimetre, but there is no single fixed value for all teeth.
How much enamel do we keep?
Move the slider and see what happens to the enamel as the preparation gets deeper. The drawing shows an upper incisor from the side.
- Enamel
- Dentine
- Pulp
- Veneer
- Exposed dentine
Minimal preparation, within the enamel. Bonding to enamel is the most predictable.
Indicative drawing, not to scale. Enamel thickness varies from tooth to tooth.
If the preparation reaches dentine over large areas, bond strength drops. In those situations I reconsider whether a veneer is still the right option.
Your treatment plan
Sources
- Layton DM, Walton TR. An up to 16-year prospective study of 304 porcelain veneers. Int J Prosthodont, 2007.
- Morimoto S, Albanesi RB, Sesma N, Agra CM, Braga MM. Main clinical outcomes of feldspathic porcelain and glass-ceramic laminate veneers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of survival and complication rates. Int J Prosthodont, 2016.
- Magne P, Belser U. Bonded Porcelain Restorations in the Anterior Dentition: A Biomimetic Approach. Quintessence, 2002.
The information on this page is general and educational. It does not replace a medical consultation, and a treatment recommendation can only be made after examining each patient. Results differ from one case to another.
Start with a consultation and a plan
Every treatment begins with a diagnosis: clinical examination, photographs, radiographs and, where relevant, an occlusal analysis. Only then do we discuss options.