Layered feldspathic porcelain
Hand-built by the technician for maximum translucency and lifelike depth. Ideal where colour and character matter most, less strong than pressed ceramics.
Cosmetic dentistry · Wimpole Street, Marylebone
Porcelain veneers in Marylebone: laboratory ceramic for changes meant to last
A porcelain veneer is a thin ceramic shell, roughly the thickness of a fingernail, made by a technician to fit the front of a prepared tooth and bonded to it with resin cement. Ceramic holds its colour, keeps its gloss and resists wear in a way resin never quite manages, which is why porcelain is the choice when the change is significant and you want it to stay looking the same for a decade or more. The price of that stability is commitment: a small layer of enamel is usually removed to make room, and that step cannot be undone. At Wimpole Street we treat porcelain veneers as a considered decision, planned with a trial smile first and never proposed for a problem that bonding or whitening could solve.
- From £1,095 per tooth
- 2–3 visits over 2–3 weeks
- Typically lasts 10–15 years or more
Suitability
Is it right for you?
A good fit when
- Deep or uneven discolouration that whitening has not shifted, including tetracycline banding and single dark teeth.
- Front teeth worn short by years of grinding or acid erosion, where the enamel is thin and needs protecting.
- Several teeth with old, discoloured composite that keep needing repair.
- Shape and spacing changes across the smile where a durable, stain-resistant surface matters.
- Patients who have already tried composite and want a longer-lasting version of the same design.
- Anyone happy to invest once for a result expected to hold for many years with ordinary care.
Think twice, or choose another route, when
- A single small chip or one narrow gap; bonding solves these for a fraction of the cost and without enamel loss.
- Significant crowding or bite problems, which need orthodontics rather than disguising with ceramic.
- Uncontrolled grinding without a night guard; porcelain is strong but brittle under repeated overload.
- Teeth with very little enamel left or large fillings, where a crown gives more support.
- Active gum disease or decay, which must be stable before any veneer is planned.
The process
How it works at Wimpole Street
- 01
Consultation and records
A full examination, photographs, a bite check and often a scan or impressions. We discuss what you dislike, what is realistic and whether a less invasive option would meet the brief. Radiographs confirm the teeth are healthy enough to build on.
- 02
Design and trial smile
The technician builds the proposed veneers in wax or digitally. From that design we make a temporary mock-up in your mouth so you can see length, shape and fullness in a mirror and in daylight before any enamel is touched. The £250 fee is credited to treatment.
- 03
Preparation
Under local anaesthetic, a thin layer of enamel, typically 0.3 to 0.7 mm, is removed from the front and edge of each tooth following the trial design so the veneer will sit flush. Final impressions or a scan are taken and a shade is chosen alongside the technician where possible.
- 04
Temporaries
You leave with resin temporaries shaped like the trial smile. They protect the teeth and give another chance to live with the design for a week or two while the ceramic is made.
- 05
Fitting
Each veneer is tried in with water or try-in paste so you can approve the shade. The teeth are cleaned, the ceramic is bonded with resin cement, excess is removed and the bite is checked. Fitting six veneers takes around two hours.
- 06
Review
A week or two later we polish the margins, confirm the gums have settled and take final photographs. A night guard is fitted if you grind.
Choices
Options & materials
Pressed or milled lithium disilicate
A stronger glass ceramic that can be made thin yet resist chipping. The workhorse choice for worn teeth and patients who clench.
Minimal-prep and no-prep veneers
Very thin ceramic on teeth that are small or set back, where little or no enamel needs removing. Only some cases qualify; we assess this at the trial stage.
Fees
What it costs
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
Porcelain veneer, per tooth Includes preparation, temporaries, laboratory work and fitting. | From £1,095 |
Six porcelain veneers Upper front six, planned as a set. | From £6,570 |
Eight porcelain veneers Canine to canine plus first premolars. | From £8,760 |
Trial smile preview Wax-up and in-mouth mock-up; credited to treatment. | £250 |
Night guard Recommended for anyone who clenches or grinds. | From £185 |
New patient examination Introductory rate; the usual fee is £95. | £30 |
Indicative Wimpole Street fees, the same as at South Kensington and St Paul's. A written plan with the exact figure is agreed before anything is started.
Outcomes
What the result looks like
A well-made porcelain veneer is difficult to pick out even at conversational distance. Ceramic transmits light through its body much as enamel does, so the tooth looks lit from within rather than painted. Colour is stable: the shade you approve at try-in is the shade you will see years later, and surface stain from tea or wine wipes off at a hygiene visit rather than soaking in.
Results are most dramatic on teeth that were dark, worn or heavily patched, and most subtle where the brief was to even out shape. Photographs and case types are described on our before-and-after page; because we do not publish other people’s faces without consent, the gallery at the clinic is fuller than anything online.
Afterwards
Looking after the result
- Brush twice a day with a non-abrasive toothpaste and clean between the teeth daily, drawing floss out sideways at the veneer edge.
- Wear your night guard every night if one has been made; most veneer fractures happen during sleep.
- Avoid biting directly into very hard foods and never use the front teeth as tools.
- Attend hygiene visits every six months so the margins are kept clean and any staining is polished away.
- Report any rough edge, sensitivity or feeling that a veneer has moved promptly; early attention prevents a small issue becoming a replacement.
- Expect the gums to feel slightly tender for a few days after fitting; warm salt-water rinses help.
Informed consent
Risks and honest limitations
Every treatment has trade-offs. These are the ones we discuss at the consultation so that a decision is made with full information rather than after the fact.
- Enamel removal is irreversible. Once prepared, a tooth will always need a veneer or crown to cover it. This is the single most important fact to weigh before proceeding.
- Lifespan varies widely. Ten to fifteen years is a reasonable expectation, many last longer, but grinding, gum recession and accidents can shorten that. Replacement will be needed eventually and is not free.
- Sensitivity to cold after preparation is common and normally settles within weeks; occasionally a tooth that was already compromised becomes symptomatic and needs root canal treatment.
- A veneer can chip or come away. Chips in ceramic cannot be patched invisibly and usually mean a remake. Debonding is uncommon and the veneer can often be re-cemented.
- Gum recession over time may expose the veneer margin as a fine line, particularly on lighter shades against a darker root.
- Colour cannot be changed after fitting. Whitening natural teeth later will not affect the veneers, so shade must be chosen with that in mind.
FAQ
Questions patients ask
Typically between 0.3 and 0.7 mm from the front surface and edge, guided by the trial design. On teeth that are set back or small, sometimes none at all. We always show you the plan first because this step cannot be reversed.
Preparation is done under local anaesthetic and is not painful. Some sensitivity to cold in the days after preparation and fitting is normal and usually fades within a few weeks.
Ten to fifteen years is a fair working figure, and many veneers pass twenty. The main threats are grinding, gum recession and accidental trauma. We cannot promise a lifespan for any individual tooth.
Composite is cheaper, reversible and finished in one visit, but it stains and wears over five to seven years. Porcelain costs more, involves enamel removal and needs two to three visits, but holds its finish for far longer. Which is right depends on the size of the change and how you feel about commitment.
Yes. The trial smile is a temporary mock-up of the proposed design placed over your own teeth without any preparation. You wear it, look at it in daylight, photograph it and decide. The £250 fee comes off the treatment cost if you go ahead.
That depends on planning and the technician as much as the material. We choose shade with a translucent edge and surface texture matched to your other teeth, and we avoid making veneers longer or whiter than the face can carry.
Small chips can sometimes be smoothed. Larger ones usually mean remaking that veneer, which is why a night guard is part of the plan for anyone who grinds.
Yes. Consultation, trial smile and preparation can happen at South Kensington or St Paul’s now at the same fee, with fitting or review at Wimpole Street once the doors open on 1 October 2026.
Marylebone, W1
Porcelain veneers at Wimpole Street from 1 October 2026
Register your interest and we will contact you as soon as the Marylebone diary is live. If you would rather start sooner, the same clinicians already see patients in South Kensington and at St Paul’s.
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.
South Kensington
- 20 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3DL
- Open seven days a week
- 020 7183 2362
St Paul's, City of London
- 5 Ave Maria Lane, London EC4M 7AQ
- Open Monday to Friday
- 020 7183 3709
