South Kensington
- 20 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3DL
- Open seven days a week
- 020 7183 2362
Cosmetic dentistry · Results · Wimpole Street, Marylebone
Veneers before and after: what changes, what settles and what stays the same
Before-and-after photographs are persuasive, which is exactly why they deserve a sceptical eye. Lighting, lip retraction, a whitened background tooth and a fresh coat of saliva can flatter almost any result. This page describes, in words, the kinds of cases veneers are used for at Wimpole Street, what actually changes in each, how the mouth feels in the weeks after fitting, and where the limits lie. Our clinical photographs are shown in person during consultation, with the consent of the patients involved and with the same camera settings before and after, so that what you are comparing is dentistry rather than photography. If you want to see the broader smile gallery, ask at the design appointment.
- Composite from £595 · Porcelain from £1,095
- Settling period 2–6 weeks
- Photographs shown in clinic, not staged
Suitability
Is it right for you?
A good fit when
- You are weighing up veneers and want an honest account of what the change looks and feels like.
- You have seen dramatic online galleries and want to understand which of those results are realistic for your teeth.
- You are choosing between composite and porcelain and want to know how each ages in practice.
- You have specific concerns, such as a gum line or a single dark tooth, and want to know how those are handled.
Think twice, or choose another route, when
- You are looking for an assurance that your result will match someone else’s photograph. Individual outcomes differ and cannot be promised.
- You want a very white, very uniform set regardless of face shape; we design within the proportions of the face and will say so.
The process
How it works at Wimpole Street
- 01
Case type: the single dark tooth
A front tooth greyed after a knock or root canal treatment years earlier. Before: one tooth visibly darker, drawing the eye. After: one porcelain veneer, or occasionally a crown if the tooth is weak, matched to its neighbours in shade and translucency. The change is that nothing stands out. Composite struggles here because resin thin enough to look natural cannot fully block a dark background.
- 02
Case type: worn, shortened front teeth
Years of grinding or acid erosion have flattened the edges and made the smile look older than the face. Before: short, square incisors with a straight edge line and little tooth showing at rest. After: length restored with six to eight veneers, the edge line curving gently to follow the lower lip, a night guard fitted to protect the investment. Patients often comment that they look rested rather than obviously treated.
- 03
Case type: old, patchy composite
Bonding placed a decade ago has stained at the margins and been repaired several times in slightly different shades. Before: a mottled, uneven colour across the front teeth. After: the old resin removed and replaced with porcelain in a single, consistent shade. This is one of the most satisfying transformations because the teeth beneath are usually healthy and the enamel removal needed is minimal.
- 04
Case type: spacing and small teeth
Narrow lateral incisors or a midline gap leave dark triangles in the smile. Before: gaps and a smile that looks small for the face. After: teeth widened with composite or porcelain so the spaces close without any single tooth looking too wide. Composite is often adequate here and is reversible; porcelain is chosen where stain resistance matters more.
- 05
Case type: mild irregularity
Teeth slightly rotated or uneven but not crowded enough for the patient to want braces. Before: an edge line that zigzags. After: outlines evened with minimal-preparation veneers. Where irregularity is more than mild we recommend aligners first, and the after result then needs fewer or no veneers.
- 06
The settling period
Immediately after fitting, veneers feel slightly larger than the teeth they replaced and speech can feel different for a day or two. Cold sensitivity is common for two to six weeks after porcelain preparation. Gums may look slightly red at the margins for a week. By the review visit most patients have stopped noticing the veneers are there.
Fees
What it costs
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
Porcelain veneer, per tooth Laboratory ceramic, including temporaries and fitting. | From £1,095 |
Composite veneer, per tooth Resin sculpted at the chair in one visit. | From £595 |
Trial smile preview A temporary mock-up so you see your own before-and-after first; credited to treatment. | £250 |
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
The honest summary of a good veneer result is that the teeth stop being something you think about. Colour is even, edges follow the lip, and the proportions suit the face. Porcelain stays that way for a decade or more with ordinary care; composite needs polishing and eventually renewal within five to seven years. Photographs at one year and at five years look almost identical for porcelain and show gradual dulling for composite.
What veneers do not change is the gum line, the position of the lips or the size of the jaw. Gummy smiles need gum contouring or orthodontics; a narrow smile is not widened by wider teeth alone. Where veneers have gone wrong elsewhere it is usually because they were asked to solve a problem that belonged to another treatment.
A word on the photographs online. Many published after images are taken minutes after fitting, when the teeth are dehydrated and look lighter than they will settle to, with the lips retracted and the lighting brightened. Ask any clinic, including us, for photographs taken at the review visit under the same conditions as the before image.
Afterwards
Looking after the result
- Expect two to six weeks of cold sensitivity after porcelain preparation; it fades and a sensitivity toothpaste helps.
- Use the night guard from the first week; the new edges are most vulnerable while you are still getting used to them.
- Rinse with warm salt water for the first few days if the gum margins feel tender.
- Photograph the result yourself at the review visit in daylight so you have a fair baseline for the years ahead.
- Keep to six-monthly hygiene visits; margins are where stain and plaque collect.
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.
- Published results are selected. Every clinic shows its better cases; the average outcome is good but less dramatic than a gallery implies.
- Porcelain preparation removes enamel and is irreversible, whatever the before-and-after photographs suggest about how effortless the change was.
- The settling period brings sensitivity, tenderness at the gums and an odd feeling in the mouth for a few weeks. This is normal but rarely appears in photographs.
- Over years, gum recession can reveal the veneer margin as a fine line, more visibly on lighter shades against a darker root.
- Composite results photographed on the day look as good as porcelain; the difference shows at five years, when resin has dulled and picked up stain.
- Outcomes cannot be promised. Case descriptions show what has been achieved in other mouths, not what will happen in yours.
FAQ
Questions patients ask
Yes, during a consultation or smile design appointment. We show cases with the patient’s consent, taken with matched lighting before and at the review visit, and we do not publish faces online without explicit permission.
Teeth and ceramic are dehydrated at fitting and look lighter than they will. Give it a week or two for the true shade to settle before judging.
If the design respects the face, people notice you look well without identifying why. Very white, very uniform sets are noticeable precisely because natural teeth are not like that.
Your own before-and-after, in your own mouth, in a mirror and in daylight, before any enamel is touched. It shows shape and length; the final ceramic will be finer in colour and polish.
On the day of fitting, little. At five years, porcelain still looks the same while composite has usually dulled and stained at the edges. Composite is polished or renewed; porcelain is left alone.
The trial smile and temporaries exist to prevent that. Shape can be adjusted at those stages freely. Once porcelain is bonded, changes mean remaking the veneer, which is why we do not skip the preview.
Yes. The same clinicians consult at South Kensington and St Paul’s now and bring the same case library. Wimpole Street opens on 1 October 2026.
Marylebone, W1
See the cases in person from 1 October 2026
Book a smile design appointment to view matched before-and-after photographs and wear a trial smile of your own. Until Wimpole Street opens, the same dentists consult at South Kensington and 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.
St Paul's, City of London
- 5 Ave Maria Lane, London EC4M 7AQ
- Open Monday to Friday
- 020 7183 3709
