At Aesthetic Dentistry of Houston in Houston, Texas, we deliver five different kinds of veneers depending on your needs.  The difference is primarily in the amount of tooth structure that needs to be removed to fit the veneer to your case.  When a dentist has to remove or reduce tooth structure, it’s called a “preparation” as we are preparing a tooth to receive a restoration. 

In some cases, no tooth preparation is needed at all to place veneers.  These are called No Prep Veneers and have been popularized by brands such as Lumineers, Durathin Veneers and Glamsmile Veneers.  No Prep Veneers are suitable fo rpatients who want to close spaces between their teeth and have no need to correct alignment or protrusion. If some correction of positioning is needed, then reduction may be required.  Some cases may be minimal prep and some will be more traditional prep. 

Even when we talk about traditional veneer preparations, we are still only talking about removing less than 1mm of tooth structure. The focus today is on preserving teeth rather than reducing them, so the less we have to prep, the better off you, and your teeth, are. 

Once the preparation type is determined, we choose the material; either porcelain or composite.  Both materials have their benefits and they differ in price.  Dr. Hedge will help you make the best decision for you based on what you want and need for your smile as well as on the needs of your wallet.