Dental veneers are thin, tooth-coloured shells that are attached to the front surface of the teeth to improve their appearance. They’re often made from porcelain or resin-composite materials and are permanently bonded to the teeth. Veneers can be used to treat a number of cosmetic concerns, including chipped, broken, discoloured, or smaller-than-average teeth.
Dental veneers are most commonly made out of porcelain. There are two types of veneers — traditional and no-prep dental veneers. Traditional dental veneers typically involves grinding down the tooth structure, sometimes removing some of the tooth even past the enamel. The process can be painful and often requires a local anaesthetic.
No-prep veneers may require some minimal tooth preparation but it does not go beyond removing layers of tooth under the enamel. There is no need of local anaesthetics in this case.