South Kensington
- 20 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3DL
- Open seven days a week
- 020 7183 2362
Treatment comparison · Wimpole Street, Marylebone
Porcelain or composite veneers: choosing the material for a new front surface
A veneer replaces the visible face of a front tooth to change its colour, shape or alignment. The two materials on offer take different routes to that result. Porcelain veneers are thin ceramic shells made by a technician from a scan of your prepared teeth and bonded on at a later visit. Composite veneers are built up directly on the tooth by the dentist in resin, layer by layer, and finished the same afternoon. The end goal is similar; the path, the lifespan, the finish, the reversibility and the fee are not.
Decision guide
Which is right for you?
Choose Porcelain veneers if…
- The change you want is substantial: marked discolouration, worn edges, larger gaps or reshaping several teeth.
- You want a surface that keeps its colour despite coffee, tea and red wine.
- You are looking for the longest interval before anything needs redoing.
- You are comfortable with a thin layer of enamel being removed and with two or more visits.
Choose Composite veneers if…
- The corrections are modest: a small chip, a narrow gap or one tooth slightly out of line.
- You would prefer to keep your enamel largely untouched and retain the option to reverse the work.
- You want the result finished in one visit at a lower cost per tooth.
- You are testing a new smile shape before committing to porcelain later.
At a glance
Side by side
| Feature | Porcelain veneers | Composite veneers |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Ceramic shell made in a laboratory | Resin applied and shaped directly on the tooth |
| Translucency | Very close to natural enamel | Good colour match, slightly more opaque |
| Strength | High; resists chipping and wear | Moderate; more prone to chips over time |
| Stain resistance | Excellent; the glazed surface holds its shade | Picks up stain gradually; polishing helps |
| Visits | Two or more, with temporaries in between | Usually one |
| Enamel removal | A thin layer, so the change is irreversible | Little or none; often reversible |
| Fee per tooth at Wimpole Street | From £1,095 | From £595 |
| Expected lifespan | Around 10 to 20 years or more | Around 5 to 10 years |
| If it chips | Usually the veneer is remade | Can often be patched in the chair |
| Best suited to | Larger cosmetic changes and long-term durability | Minor corrections and lower-commitment improvements |
In the chair
What the treatment involves
Porcelain veneers
Planning begins with photographs, a scan and often a mock-up so you can preview the shape before anything is touched. At the preparation visit a fine layer of enamel, typically half a millimetre, is removed from the front of each tooth under local anaesthetic and a new scan is sent to the laboratory. Temporary veneers in resin protect the teeth and let you trial the design for a week or two. At the fitting appointment the ceramic shells are tried in, the shade of the bonding cement is chosen, and each veneer is bonded and cured in turn. A brief review follows to check the bite and polish the margins.
Composite veneers
After any minor enamel smoothing, which is often unnecessary, the tooth surface is etched and a bonding agent applied. The dentist then builds the veneer in successive layers of composite, using shades of differing opacity to imitate dentine and enamel, curing each layer before adding the next. The shape is refined by hand with fine burs and discs, the bite is checked, and the surface is polished to a natural sheen. A single tooth takes around an hour; a set of six or eight can generally be completed in one longer appointment, with a polish and check a few weeks later.
Fees
Cost and longevity at Wimpole Street
Composite veneers at Wimpole Street will start from £595 per tooth and porcelain veneers from £1,095 per tooth. For a set of six front teeth the difference between the two is therefore several thousand pounds, before any preparatory treatment such as whitening or gum contouring.
Longevity closes some of the gap. Porcelain generally serves for 10 to 20 years or more, whereas composite tends to need re-polishing every year or two and replacing after 5 to 10 years, so over twenty years a composite set may be renewed twice. Composite’s advantages are the lower entry cost, the ease of repairing a chip, and the fact that most of your enamel remains if you later decide to move to porcelain.
All prices are indicative and are confirmed in a written treatment plan at your consultation. Fees are the same at every Medical & Dental clinic.
Weighing it up
Strengths and trade-offs
Porcelain veneers
Strengths
- Translucency very close to natural enamel
- Holds its colour against staining
- Strong and resistant to chipping
- Lifespan of 10 to 20 years or more
- Made by a technician for a precise fit
- Handles bigger cosmetic changes
Trade-offs
- Higher fee per tooth
- Two or more appointments plus temporaries
- Enamel removal cannot be undone
- Chips usually mean a new veneer
- Unsuitable where enamel is already very thin
Composite veneers
Strengths
- Lower cost per tooth
- Finished in a single visit
- Little or no enamel removed; often reversible
- Chips can be repaired rather than replaced
- Easy to adjust the shape afterwards
Trade-offs
- Lifespan of around 5 to 10 years
- Gradually picks up stain
- Less translucent, so slightly less lifelike
- More prone to chipping and edge wear
- Needs regular polishing to keep its finish
- Less suited to large transformations
FAQ
Common questions
Fired ceramic scatters light in much the same way as enamel, so a porcelain veneer picks up a little of the colour of the tooth beneath and looks translucent at the edge. Composite is a filled resin and, while skilled layering gets close, it tends to look slightly flatter, particularly under strong light.
Porcelain veneers remove a thin layer of enamel, so the tooth is marginally thinner but is then covered by a bonded ceramic that restores its strength. Composite veneers remove very little. Neither weakens a healthy tooth in a way that matters day to day, but porcelain does commit the tooth to always having a covering.
Whitening gel does not change the colour of porcelain or composite, so whitening is usually done first and the veneers are matched to the new shade. If teeth darken years later, the natural teeth can be whitened again but the veneers will stay as they are.
A chipped composite veneer can normally be repaired by adding fresh resin to the damaged area in a short visit. A fractured porcelain veneer is generally replaced, since repairs to ceramic are less reliable. Both materials are more vulnerable to biting fingernails, pens and hard foods.
Yes, and many patients do. Because composite involves minimal enamel removal, the underlying teeth are usually in good condition when the time comes, and the shape of the composite veneers can guide the design of the porcelain ones.
Yes. Consultations and treatment for both materials are available now at South Kensington and St Paul’s, with the same clinicians and fees. Anything begun there can be reviewed or continued at Wimpole Street after 1 October 2026.
Marylebone, W1
Wimpole Street opens 1 October 2026
Register your interest and we will contact you when the Marylebone diary opens. If you would rather not wait, the same clinicians can see you at South Kensington or St Paul's now.
Related treatments at Wimpole Street
Opening 1 October 2026
Wimpole Street is not yet seeing patients. Until then, please book or call our South Kensington clinic on 020 7183 2362 or our St Paul's clinic on 020 7183 3709. Questions about the new clinic: wimpolestreet@md.co.uk.
Until we open
Need an appointment before 1 October 2026?
The same clinical team already works from two other Medical & Dental clinics. Book at either one now and, if you prefer, move your ongoing care to Wimpole Street once the doors open.
St Paul's, City of London
- 5 Ave Maria Lane, London EC4M 7AQ
- Open Monday to Friday
- 020 7183 3709
