Is Dental Bonding as Good as Veneers?

The question: is dental bonding as good as veneers? is one that dentists get asked often, especially by patients who are debating between both treatments. The reason why this question is so common is due to the fact that both dental bonding and veneers produce similar results in different ways. 

Both treatments are able to improve the look of your smile by altering the size, shape, color, alignment, and spacing of your teeth. They can also repair minor chips and cracks. With dental bonding, composite resin is bonded to the tooth enamel to address these concerns, while with veneers thin porcelain shells are cemented onto the front of visible teeth. 

Whenever two treatments deliver similar results, it raises the question of whether one is better than the other. However, it is not always as simple as one treatment being better than another, rather it tends to be about which treatment is better for you. Therefore, if you are faced with the decision of choosing between dental bonding and veneers, here are some factors that you should consider: 

 

Technique

As mentioned above, dental bonding and veneers use different techniques to obtain similar results. Since the composite resin used in dental bonding is able to bond with the tooth enamel, this means that minimal alterations need to be made to the natural tooth structure. With veneers, however, a thin layer of enamel must be removed in order to allow for the porcelain shell to fit properly. This makes the technique for applying veneers slightly more invasive than the technique used for dental bonding. 

 

How Long it Takes

Since both treatments use different techniques, this also means that they vary in terms of how long the treatment will take. Dental bonding generally takes less time than veneers since it does not require extensive preparation beforehand. The composite resin used for dental bonding can also be cured in a matter of minutes, meaning that the entire procedure can usually be completed in a single dental appointment. On the other hand, veneers usually take at least two dental appointments to place since one appointment is needed to prepare the teeth and the second appointment is used to cement the veneers in place. The reason why two appointments are needed is because the veneers are fabricated by a dental laboratory in between the first and second appointment. 

 

Longevity

Despite the fact that both treatments can produce similar results, there is variation in how long these results will last. Assuming proper dental hygiene, the results from dental bonding tend to last about 5-7 years, while dental veneers usually last around 10-15 years. The main reason for this discrepancy is simply due to the dental materials used in each treatment. Most veneers are made from porcelain, which is durable, stain resistant, and longer lasting than composite resin. While composite resin has many other benefits, it is simply not as durable as porcelain and has a shorter lifespan. 

 

Cost

Due to their differences, dental bonding and veneers also vary in terms of cost. Generally speaking, dental bonding has a lower upfront cost because composite resin is cheaper than porcelain, it only takes one dental appointment, and a dental laboratory is not needed. However, dental bonding can potentially end up costing more over time since the process will need to be repeated approximately every 5-7 years. Veneers, on the other hand, tend to have a higher upfront cost since they are made from porcelain, take two dental appointments, and require the use of a dental lab. However, you may end up saving more money in the long run since veneers only need to be replaced about every 10-15 years.