Dental veneers
price, application, conditions

How much do veneers cost? 

• A single ceramic dental veneer costs about 1,200 CHF.

That includes your dentist’s services, the work done by our Meyrin lab ceramics specialists, and the temporary resin veneer.

• A single composite veneer costs about 450 CHF.

Like for ceramic veneers, the price includes the work done by our Meyrin lab ceramics specialists and the temporary resin veneer.

Bear in mind that the cost of each veneer also depends on the amount of work involved for the lab, which in turn depends on your clinical situation.

Veneers are intended to exactly match the characteristics of your natural teeth while improving their appearance. In some cases, that may mean adding imperfections to make them more natural-looking and totally unique. That kind of detail requires time-consuming, painstaking work by our master ceramicists and means higher costs for you.

If you are having multiple veneers made, on the other hand, the cost per veneer will be lower.

No matter how many veneers you have done, well-made veneers are virtually indistinguishable from natural teeth.

How are veneers applied?

A veneer is a thin layer of ceramic (porcelain) that is cemented to the outer surface of your teeth. 

• Since the veneer cannot make your tooth thicker, a thin layer of enamel has to be removed to prepare your tooth for the veneer.

To do that, we depolish the tooth or shave off a minimally invasive thickness, usually about 0.7 mm although we may remove up to 1 mm in more extreme cases.

• Once we’ve prepared your tooth, we take an impression with a 3D scanner and send it to the laboratory.
• We then produce a temporary veneer to protect the prepared tooth and start working on the cosmetic side of the procedure. During this phase, we focus exclusively on the appearance of different tooth lengths and shapes. You and your dentist will discuss and “test” different options to find the best fit for your face and your smile.

This “artistic” step is extremely important and allows you to define your goals for your appearance. You will get to see what your finished smile will look like before the procedure, since your temporary veneers will be scanned to produce your permanent ones.

That means there’s no risk that you won’t be happy with your new smile since you approve it in advance during the temporary veneer phase.

• Once you have approved your temporary veneers, duplicates will be made to produce your permanent ceramic veneers.
• Your permanent veneers will be applied at your next appointment and we will x-ray them to ensure that there is no excess cement and they fit well with your natural teeth.
• A final follow-up appointment will be scheduled about a month later, followed by an appointment with a hygienist to ensure your veneers are easy to clean and identify the right brushing technique for you.

Are there contraindications for veneers?

There are no real contraindications for veneers.

However, certain factors may make them difficult to apply or maintain over the long term, including:

• Inappropriate or inadequate tooth care habits.
  The fact that your teeth have a ceramic coating doesn’t mean you can stop taking care of your teeth and gums! You can also develop interdental cavities where your veneer touches the cavity and you can develop gum inflammation or gingivitis if you don’t brush regularly.
• Extreme or traumatic occlusion (the way your top and bottom teeth meet) can also be problematic for veneers.
  When that’s the case, a very short 3-6 month course of orthodontics is often enough to correct the problem so you can get veneers.
  Intense tooth grinding that has caused extreme damage to your top and bottom teeth can also potentially make veneers difficult to apply. If that affects you, your dentist will discuss other, more robust options like crowns.

It’s also important to note that before starting the veneer process, your mouth needs to be in good shape and any cavities, infections, or gum inflammation need to be treated.

Why opt for veneers? 

Veneers offer a wide range of benefits. They can be used to:

• Change your tooth alignment
• Correct overlapping teeth
• Change the shape of your teeth
• Close gaps between your teeth, including your front teeth
• Cover up permanent stains or damage on your teeth
• Get straight teeth without going through orthodontic treatment with Invisalign aligners or braces

Veneers can permanently resolve functional and cosmetic issues in just 3 appointments, with no need for longer treatment options like orthodontics.

They can be designed for a natural look that fits perfectly with your smile and face.

You might not even need a full mouth of veneers for a great new smile! Just 4 to 6 veneers are usually enough to transform your whole smile since its appearance really depends on your 6 front teeth.

In fact, most of our patients get just 4 or 6 veneers and our dentists carefully integrate their ceramic veneers with their natural teeth.

Will my insurance cover veneers? 

Like all cosmetic procedures, veneers are not covered by basic Lamal insurance.

If you have supplemental dental insurance, they may be covered depending on your coverage and deductible. We recommend contacting your insurer to ask!

There are a few cases when your insurance will cover veneers:

• If one of your teeth is broken in an accident and requires a ceramic veneer, it is covered directly by your accident insurance.
• If your teeth are damaged by medication, tooth bud malformation, or genetic damage to your enamel or dentin (the second layer of your teeth), your dentist can fill out a form so you can request insurance coverage for your veneers.

But the basic rule of thumb is still that, despite their functional benefits, you will usually pay out-of-pocket for veneers.