ADORE DENTAL | KANGAROO POINT, BRISBANE
MINIMAL & NON-PREP VENEERS.
Ultra-thin porcelain, bonded over your natural teeth, with little or no enamel removed.
OUR SIGNATURE
PORCELAIN, PLACED TOOTH BY TOOTH.
Veneers designed to preserve your natural teeth.
Minimal and non-prep veneers are the work we do most of. They are ultra-thin custom-made porcelain shells, bonded to the front surface of your teeth, without the drilling and reshaping that traditional porcelain veneers usually require.
Each one is designed with our ceramist for your teeth and nobody else’s. Because most or all of your own tooth stays where it is, this is a conservative way to change how teeth look, and it is the clearest expression of how we work.
It is not the right answer for everyone, and we will tell you when it is not. All veneer treatment carries risks and considerations, and we go through the ones that apply to you before anything is agreed.
THIS IS FOR YOU IF →
Your front teeth are chipped, worn, uneven or discoloured in a way whitening will not change. You have small gaps, or teeth that have always looked shorter than you would like. Or you have looked into veneers before and been put off by how much tooth gets removed.
Veneers are not for everyone. If bonding, aligners or whitening would do what you are after, we will say so. If your bite or gum health needs attention, that comes first.
WHAT TO EXPECT →
Two to three appointments across a few weeks, plus design time in between. A consultation and 3D scan first. Then a trial smile in temporary material, so you see the plan on your own teeth before any porcelain is made. Then the fit.
Non-prep cases involve no enamel removal. Minimal-prep cases involve a small amount, and where that applies we will show you exactly where and why before you agree to anything. Every case carries its own risks and considerations.
COSTS AND HEALTH FUNDS →
Veneers are priced per tooth, and most people treat between six and ten, so the number of teeth moves the total more than anything else. Our ranges are in the price guide, and after your consultation you will have a written quote for your actual plan rather than an estimate.
What changes the figure is how many teeth, whether any preparation is needed, and whether anything needs treating first. If you would like to spread it out, we can talk through payment plan options and their terms.
CURIOUS ABOUT OUR PRICING?
Every smile is different, so every treatment plan, and every price, is too. Our full price and service guide gives you a clear starting point, with starting prices and the payment plan options available.
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.
Three different things get called veneers, and the difference is how much of your own tooth you keep. Worth understanding before you compare quotes anywhere, including ours.
01 | NON-PREP VENEERS
- ENAMEL REMOVED:
- No tooth is drilled or reshaped. The surface is etched so the bond holds, and that surface change is permanent.
- REVERSIBLE:
- The veneers can be removed and the enamel underneath is intact. The bonding needs to be professionally cleaned off, and we would not promise the tooth looks exactly as it did.
- SUITS:
- Teeth already sitting where they should, where thickness can be added without crowding the bite.
02 | MINIMAL-PREP
- ENAMEL REMOVED:
- A very small amount, in specific places, usually so the veneer sits flush and stays thin.
- REVERSIBLE:
- Not fully. Where enamel has been reduced it does not grow back, so that tooth will need covering from then on.
- SUITS:
- Teeth sitting slightly forward, or cases where a small reduction gives a better fit and a thinner veneer.
03 | TRADITIONAL PORCELAIN
- ENAMEL REMOVED:
- A layer across the front of the tooth, sometimes more.
- REVERSIBLE:
- No. The tooth is permanently altered and will always need a veneer or a crown on it.
- SUITS:
- Heavily damaged or deeply discoloured teeth needing more coverage. We do this where it is the right answer, not as a default.
We will tell you which of these your teeth need after the scan, and we do not use the word non-prep for work that involves preparation. If any enamel is coming off, you will hear it from us before you agree to anything, along with the risks and considerations that apply.
THE BENEFITS
WHY NON-PREP?
Keeping your own tooth structure is the whole argument. Here is what that changes in practice, and what to weigh up before you decide. All veneer treatment carries risks and considerations.
LITTLE OR NO PREPARATION →
Porcelain behaves like enamel →
Reversibility, honestly →
Where no enamel has been removed, veneers can be taken off and the tooth underneath is intact. The bonding has to be professionally cleaned off, and we would not promise the tooth looks exactly as it did beforehand.
Where enamel has been reduced, even minimally, it does not grow back, and that tooth will need covering from then on. We would rather you knew which category you are in before you start than after.
Fewer appointments than traditional veneers →
Whitening and alignment come first →
WHAT TO EXPECT
THE PROCESS.
01 | CONSULTATION & 3D DESIGN
We start with a conversation and a proper look. 3D scans capture your teeth, your bite and your smile, and together we build a plan around what you would like to change. If you decide to go ahead, your scan goes to our ceramist and the design begins.
02 | YOUR TRIAL SMILE
Before anything is final you wear temporary veneers made from your design. You see the plan on your own teeth, in daylight, at work, in photos. Your feedback shapes the final porcelain, and nothing goes to be made while you still have questions.
Our patient, photographed during her veneer treatment at Adore Dental. Shown with consent and unedited. Individual results vary.
03 | THE FINAL FIT
A try-in first, then adjustments to the fit, the edges and how they meet your other teeth. Your veneers are bonded in place, and you leave with written care instructions and a review appointment booked.
BEFORE & AFTERS
A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR WORK.
immediately after - 10 porcelain veneers
immediately after - 10 porcelain veneers
2 weeks after - 10 porcelain veneers
The outcomes shown are relevant for these patients only and do not necessarily reflect the results other patients may experience. Images are of our own patients, shared with consent, shown unedited, and photographed in the same lighting and position. All cosmetic treatment carries risks and considerations.
PORCELAIN THIN ENOUGH TO GO OVER WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ASKED & ANSWERED.
If your question isn't here, please get in touch with us. We're always happy to help.
Will they look fake?
It is a fair thing to worry about. Porcelain is translucent, so light behaves in it much the way it does in enamel, and shape, edge detail and shade are matched to your face and your other teeth rather than to a standard set of proportions.
The trial smile is where you find out for yourself rather than take our word for it. You wear the plan on your own teeth before any porcelain is made, and if it is not what you had in mind, it changes.
How long do they last?
With good care, a reasonable expectation is 10-15 years, and some last considerably longer. What shortens it is grinding, biting hard things, and gum problems left untreated.
Porcelain can chip or come away, and a failed veneer is replaced rather than repaired, which is one of the real differences from composite bonding. If you grind your teeth, a night guard is part of the plan rather than an optional extra. We will not put a lifetime figure on veneers, because too much of it depends on things nobody can predict.
Are they reversible?
It depends which type your teeth need. Where no enamel has been removed, the veneers can be taken off and the tooth underneath is intact, though the bonding has to be professionally cleaned off and we would not promise the tooth looks exactly as it did.
Where enamel has been reduced, even minimally, it does not grow back, and that tooth will need covering from then on. We tell you which category you are in before you agree to anything, and it is worth asking that question of anyone quoting you for veneers.
Do they hurt?
Non-prep cases often need no anaesthetic at all, because nothing is being removed. Where a small amount of preparation is needed, the tooth is numbed first. Some people find their teeth or gums sensitive for a few days after fitting, and the temporaries can feel bulky while you have them on. We will tell you what applies to your case rather than give you a general answer.
Do you have to touch my natural teeth?
For a non-prep case, no tooth is drilled or reshaped. The enamel surface is cleaned and etched so the bond holds, and that surface change is permanent.
For a minimal-prep case, a very small amount of enamel is reduced in specific places, usually so the veneer sits flush against the tooth and can stay thin. That part is permanent too. Which one your teeth need is decided from your scan at the consultation, and we will show you exactly where before you agree.
How much do they cost?
They are priced per tooth, and most people treat between six and ten, so the number of teeth moves the total more than anything else. Our starting prices are in the price guide, and after your consultation you will have a written quote for your actual plan.
Do I have to have straight teeth?
No, but position matters. Veneers change the shape, colour and surface of a tooth, not where its root sits. Small irregularities can often be handled in the design.
Where teeth are significantly out of line, aligners first usually mean thinner veneers and less preparation. Sometimes it means you finish aligners and decide you do not want veneers after all. We will lay out both routes with their costs.
What if I don't like the trial smile?
Then it changes, and that is exactly what the stage is for. The trial is made from your design in temporary material so you can wear it, photograph it and show whoever you want to show. Shape, length, width and shade are all still adjustable at that point.
If after all of that you decide not to go ahead, you can stop. We will tell you at the consultation what is payable at each stage, so nothing about that decision is a surprise.
What happens when they need replacing?
Eventually a veneer will need replacing, and it is better to plan for that at the start than to discover it in year twelve. Replacing one means removing the old porcelain and the bonding, and even done carefully that takes a little of the enamel surface with it, so each cycle leaves slightly less to work with.
That is one of the reasons we start as conservatively as the case allows. We will talk through the long view at your consultation, not only the first fit.
What should I know before I start?
Veneers are on AHPRA’s list of higher risk cosmetic procedures, and there is real information worth having before you decide.
Where any enamel is removed, that is permanent, and the tooth will need covering from then on. Porcelain can chip, crack or come away, and a failed veneer is replaced rather than repaired. Some people have sensitivity after fitting, and gums can take time to settle around a new margin. Grinding shortens the life of the work significantly, and a night guard is usually part of the plan.
Veneers do not move teeth, do not change gum position, and do not stop decay. The tooth underneath still needs looking after and still needs check-ups. Results vary between people and cannot be guaranteed in advance, which is why the trial smile stage exists at all.
We go through all of this with you at the consultation, and you can read our full risks and considerations first.
YOUR FIRST VISIT
NO PRESSURE, JUST A PLAN.
A complimentary consultation is a conversation. You tell us what you’d like to change, we take a proper look, and you leave with your options and what they cost. You decide in your own time. See what’s included.
THE PEOPLE
A TEAM BUILT AROUND ONE APPROACH.
Keeping your own teeth is not one technique among others here: it is the premise the practice was built on. Dr Ellie Kim set that standard, the whole team plans to it, and veneer cases are designed together with our ceramist.
Dr Ellie Kim (DEN0002313013), registered dentist, general registration.
CONTACT US
GET IN TOUCH WITH US.
Whether you're ready to book or just curious, we'd love to hear from you. We'll get back to you as soon as possible.