What to Know Before Getting Dental Veneers
Dental veneers are thin, custom-made shells that dentists can place on the front of the teeth to improve their appearance. Veneers can hide stained, chipped, and uneven teeth.
Dental veneers are thin shells, usually ceramic, bonded to the front of teeth to change their color, shape or size. They can give a lasting change to a smile, but preparing teeth for them usually removes some enamel, so they're a long-term commitment. Before deciding, it helps to know whether a more conservative option would reach your goal and what veneers need over the years.
What can veneers change?
Veneers cover the front surface and biting edge of a tooth. They can help with:
Teeth that are chipped, worn or uneven in length
Color that whitening doesn't change, such as some deep stains
Small gaps or minor irregularities in shape
Teeth that look too small for the smile
Veneers don't move teeth, fix a bite problem or replace missing teeth. They also need healthy teeth and gums underneath.
Are veneers the same as crowns?
No. Veneers mainly cover the front of a tooth. Crowns cover the whole tooth and are usually recommended when a tooth has a large filling, a fracture or a root canal. A tooth without enough sound enamel may not hold a veneer well.
What are veneers made of?
Ceramic (porcelain) veneers are made by a dental laboratory. They resist staining and reflect light much like enamel.
Composite veneers are tooth-colored resin shaped directly on the tooth. They usually need less preparation and cost less, but they stain and chip more easily and need more upkeep.
Our dental veneers page explains how we approach ceramic veneers.
Are veneers reversible?
Usually not. Most ceramic veneers need some enamel removed so they don't look bulky. Once that enamel is gone, the tooth will always need a veneer or other covering. Some cases need very little or no preparation, depending on the tooth's position and the planned shape. Ask how much preparation is proposed and why.
How long do veneers last?
Ceramic veneers have a good track record. A systematic review of 13 clinical studies estimated that about 89 percent of ceramic veneers were still in service after a median of 9 years. Chipping or fracture was the most common problem. How long yours last depends on your bite, whether you grind your teeth, your gum health and how you care for them.
Should I compare veneers with bonding, whitening or aligners?
Yes. Each solves a different problem.
Teeth whitening changes the color of natural teeth without removing anything. If you plan to whiten, do it first so veneers can be matched to the new shade.
Composite bonding can handle selected small chips and gaps with little or no preparation.
Clear aligners move teeth. If crowding is the main concern, aligning the teeth first often means less tooth reduction for veneers, or no veneers at all.
What does the process involve?
Consultation and records. We talk about what you'd like to change and take photographs and an impression or scan.
Design and trial. A mock-up or temporary version of the new shape can let you see the change and adjust it before anything is final.
Preparation. The teeth are numbed and shaped as needed. Temporary veneers may be placed.
Placement. The laboratory makes the final veneers. I check the fit, color and bite before bonding them.
How do you care for veneers?
Brush twice a day and clean between your teeth daily. The veneer won't decay, but the tooth around it can.
Don't bite fingernails, ice, pens or packaging with your front teeth.
If you clench or grind, wear a night guard.
Keep regular cleanings and examinations so the edges and gums can be checked.
What should I ask at a veneer consultation?
What concerns can this plan address?
How much enamel will be removed?
How does my bite affect the recommendation?
Would a more conservative option meet my goal?
What maintenance and future replacement should I expect?
Can I see relevant examples of your work?
Does insurance cover veneers?
Insurance rarely covers veneers placed for appearance alone. We are an out-of-network practice. We can help you understand how to use your benefits. You are responsible for amounts your plan does not pay.
Discuss veneer options in Jacksonville
At CJ Henley, DMD, on Hendricks Avenue near San Marco, you can talk about the change you want and compare cosmetic dentistry options. Bring photographs that show what you like about your current smile and what you hope to change. See examples of our work on the before and after page, contact the office or call 904-398-1549.
Sources
Morimoto S, Albanesi RB, Sesma N, Agra CM, Braga MM. Main clinical outcomes of feldspathic porcelain and glass-ceramic laminate veneers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of survival and complication rates. Int J Prosthodont. 2016;29(1):38-49. doi:10.11607/ijp.4315 (retrieved via PubMed)
American Dental Association, MouthHealthy. Veneers.
About the author. CJ Henley, DMD, is a general dentist in Jacksonville whose practice focuses on cosmetic and restorative dentistry, dental implants and dental care around head and neck cancer. Meet Dr. Henley.
CJ Henley, DMD, PA · 3675 Hendricks Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32207 · 904-398-1549
Updated October 2026.
What Is Beauty? The Golden Ratio and Your Smile
Sheila Samton is the author-illustrator of many award-winning books for children, as well as a designer and muralist. Her first children’s book, “The World from My Window” (Crown, 1985), also dealt with the subject of beauty. Ms. Samton has two sons and lives in New York City.
The golden ratio is a useful idea in smile design, but it doesn't define a beautiful smile. When researchers measured the front teeth of people with attractive natural smiles, the golden proportion was uncommon. I use proportion as a starting point and then design around the person's face, lips, gums and preferences.
What is the golden ratio?
The golden ratio is a number, about 1.618, that appears when a line is divided into two parts so that the whole line relates to the longer part the same way the longer part relates to the shorter one. It has been called the golden mean, the golden section and the divine proportion.
A rectangle with sides in this ratio has a neat property. Cut a square off one end, and the piece that's left is a smaller rectangle with the same proportions. Mathematicians find the number interesting for many reasons like this.
Why is it linked with beauty?
For centuries, people have connected the golden ratio with harmony and perfection. It is often said to appear in the Egyptian pyramids, the Parthenon and the Mona Lisa. Those claims are popular but debated, and in many cases there is no evidence the builders or artists intended it. Some designers did use it on purpose. The architect Le Corbusier built a whole system of proportions around it.
How did the golden ratio come into dentistry?
In the 1970s, dentists proposed using the golden proportion to plan the upper front teeth. Seen from the front, each tooth would appear about 62 percent as wide as the tooth in front of it, moving from the central incisors back toward the canines. The idea gave dentists and laboratories a simple grid to work from, and it still appears in smile design discussions.
Does the golden ratio show up in attractive smiles?
Not consistently. In a 2004 study, researchers photographed 157 dental students whose smiles were judged attractive and measured the apparent widths of their six upper front teeth. They did not find the golden proportion between those teeth, and concluded that it is not a common feature of attractive smiles. Other researchers had already re-examined the idea and questioned whether it fits natural teeth.
That matches what I see. Smiles that look natural vary a lot. A rigid formula can produce teeth that look too narrow on the sides or too uniform across the front.
What do I look at instead when planning a smile?
Your face. The center of the smile should line up with the center of the face, and the edges of the upper teeth should follow the curve of the lower lip when you smile.
Tooth shape. Natural central incisors are usually somewhat longer than they are wide. In one study of extracted teeth, unworn upper central incisors were about 78 percent as wide as they were long.
The gum line. Even, healthy gums frame the teeth. Uneven gums can make well-shaped teeth look wrong.
Color and texture. Brightness, translucency at the edges and surface texture often matter more than exact widths.
Your preferences. Some people want a noticeable change. Many want to look like themselves on a good day.
Photographs, models and trial versions of the new shape let you see and react to the design before anything is final. You can see examples on our before and after page and in our e.max front teeth case.
Thinking about changing your smile?
If you're considering veneers or other cosmetic dentistry, bring photos of smiles you like and tell us what bothers you about your own. Contact our office at 3675 Hendricks Avenue in Jacksonville or call 904-398-1549.
Sources
Levin EI. Dental esthetics and the golden proportion. J Prosthet Dent. 1978;40(3):244-252. doi:10.1016/0022-3913(78)90028-8 (retrieved via PubMed)
Preston JD. The golden proportion revisited. J Esthet Dent. 1993;5(6):247-251. doi:10.1111/j.1708-8240.1993.tb00788.x (retrieved via PubMed)
Mahshid M, Khoshvaghti A, Varshosaz M, Vallaei N. Evaluation of "golden proportion" in individuals with an esthetic smile. J Esthet Restor Dent. 2004;16(3):185-192. doi:10.1111/j.1708-8240.2004.tb00032.x (retrieved via PubMed)
Magne P, Gallucci GO, Belser UC. Anatomic crown width/length ratios of unworn and worn maxillary teeth in white subjects. J Prosthet Dent. 2003;89(5):453-461. doi:10.1016/S0022-3913(03)00125-2 (retrieved via PubMed)
About the author. CJ Henley, DMD, is a general dentist in Jacksonville whose practice focuses on cosmetic and restorative dentistry, dental implants and dental care around head and neck cancer. Meet Dr. Henley.
CJ Henley, DMD, PA · 3675 Hendricks Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32207 · 904-398-1549
Updated October 2026.