The True Cost of Veneers

Veneers are little shells that are applied to the front of your teeth, giving you a smile that makes you feel confident in just an appointment or two. They can address issues like discoloration, small gaps, or misshapen (smaller than average, chipped) teeth. Veneers can quickly provide you with the smile of your dreams.

Veneers are a rapid teeth makeover option in an industry that is usually pretty gradual and methodical — but you will pay a pretty penny to enjoy their cosmetic benefits. In this guide, we will explore the true cost of veneers, from materials to durability, as well as how they compare to other ways to transform your smile.

How Much Does It Cost to Get Veneers?

Veneers are typically priced by tooth. This can make treatment prices wildly different from one person to the next. Most people choose to have eight veneers since those are the teeth that get the most attention when we smile. So, when you’re looking at the price of veneers, know that multiplying the per tooth figure by eight is likely to give you a better idea of what your total will be.

That being said, veneers can range anywhere from $250-$2,500 per tooth (or $2,000-$20,000 for eight teeth). The price is affected by the materials your veneers are made of, among other factors. Veneers are made of either porcelain or resin/composite materials.

Porcelain veneers tend to be more expensive but significantly more durable than composite. So even though they come with a higher sticker price, they may save you money in the long run (since you won’t have to get them replaced as often).

Veneers are as permanent of a dental expense as it gets since, in order to affix them to your teeth, your dentist will need to remove some of your enamel. Taking away the protective layer of your tooth commits you to veneers permanently.

However, veneers themselves will not last forever — even the longest-lasting veneers have a lifespan of 10-15 years. So you will need to be able to pay for treatment not just once, but likely three times or more.

There is an exception to the permanent commitment of veneers, which we cover below

Types of Veneers (and Their Costs)

The price of your veneers is largely dependent on the materials they are made with and the way they are affixed to your teeth. There are two main types of veneers: traditional and “no-prep.”

Traditional veneers are a more invasive application process, as they require permanent damage to your enamel. No-prep veneers don’t do permanent damage to your teeth and require no anesthesia but aren’t as durable and long-lasting as traditional options.

Traditional Veneers

Traditional veneers offer two different options for materials: porcelain or resin/composite. With both kinds of traditional veneers, you will need to have your teeth filed down, irreversibly changing your enamel. It’s possible that this process will require a local anesthetic due to its invasive and sometimes painful nature. Any specialized procedure can add to the total of your bill.

Porcelain veneers are typically favored in the industry due to their durability, stain resistance, and appearance. Porcelain veneers can last between 10 and15 years. But they also hold the most expensive price — ranging from $925 to $2,500 per tooth.

Resin/composite veneers have a lower price per tooth, averaging $250-$1,500. However, these veneers are not as durable and stain resistant as porcelain veneers and tend to last only 5-7 years. So even though the price is lower, you’ll need to replace them more often.

Your enamel cannot grow back, so removing it means you are making a lifelong commitment to veneers because your tooth will no longer be able to protect itself. It’s important to keep the permanence of this expense in mind when you’re deciding whether or not veneers are a good match for you and your budget.

“No-Prep” Veneers

No-prep veneers are a great alternative if you love the look of veneers but don’t necessarily feel comfortable with the permanent enamel damage that comes with traditional options.

These veneers are also made out of porcelain or resin/composite materials. The per tooth cost for no-prep veneers usually falls between $800 and $2,000 — giving them a lower price point than traditional porcelain veneers (but a higher price than traditional veneers made of resin/composite).

No-prep veneers are not as durable as traditional porcelain veneers, and their fragility should be taken into account when deciding which option is best for you since this will mean more frequent replacements (every 5-7 years).

These are thinner than traditional porcelain veneers, so they may not be a great fit for everyone. If you’re interested in veneers because of dark stains, a thicker veneer like traditional porcelain will likely be a better match for your specific needs.

No-prep veneers are a great option if you aren’t sure you’ll want to commit to veneers permanently. But if you do decide you want to continue with veneers for life, they will likely be a more expensive commitment in the long run due to the frequency with which you will need to replace them.

Pre-Treatment Expenses

Veneers are intended for minor cosmetic concerns, like misshapen, chipped, broken, or discolored teeth. Veneers provide a dramatic change in your smile, but they go on top of your teeth — they aren’t able to move them. So if you’re dealing with severe jaw, bite, or crowding/spacing issues, then it’s possible that you will need to have orthodontia prior to getting your veneers, adding anywhere from $1,145-$7,000 to your total price.

Recurring Expenses

As we touched on earlier, traditional veneers are not a one-time expense since your enamel will be too damaged to be without a veneer once you’ve gotten them affixed. This means that this expense will be repeated in the future.

With no-prep veneers, you can choose for them to be a one-time expense since your enamel will still be intact, allowing you to safely opt out of replacing your veneers when the time comes.

Breakage and Staining

Veneers aren’t as strong as your natural teeth, so they can break or chip and require replacement. Though porcelain options are very resistant, they do still accumulate stains like your natural teeth would. However, unlike your teeth, veneers cannot be whitened once they are stained. So if you’d like a brighter smile, your only option will be to replace the veneers.

You can help your veneers have a longer life (thus saving you money in the long run) by avoiding hard foods (or using your back teeth to bite them). As far as staining is concerned, the same rules apply to veneers as your real teeth: quit smoking, drink coffee through a straw when possible, and rinse your mouth with water after having red wine.

If you consume many foods or drinks that stain teeth, traditional porcelain veneers may be a better match for you due to their durability and stain resistance when compared to resin/composite.

Veneer Lifespan

If your porcelain veneers complete their full life span without breaking, you’ll still need to replace all of them when they are near the end of their life. If you’re getting eight veneers, that means you’ll be paying between $7,400-$20,000 every 10-15 years for porcelain veneers. That doesn’t include occasional breaks or damage you may need to cover as well.

For traditional composite/resin veneers, you’ll need to replace them more frequently. To replace all eight teeth, you would need to pay between $2,000-$12,000 every 5-7 years. Not to mention any breaks you may experience, which will happen more frequently with resin/composite materials than they would with porcelain.

With no-prep veneers, since your enamel is not permanently damaged, you have the freedom to decide not to continue with your treatment. So even though these veneers are more fragile and will likely break more often than traditional options, you are not obligated to take on these expenses if you decide this is no longer the right match for you.

However, if you do decide you’d like to continue with treatment, you will be paying $6,400-$16,000 every 5-7 years to cover eight teeth.

Other Price Factors

Beyond just the cost of the veneers themselves, there can be other expenses contributing to your total cost of veneers. Since this is a recurring expense, any savings you can manage could really add up in the long run.

Office Location

Typically, the more expensive a place is, the more it costs to receive treatment there. Offices in expensive places typically have higher rent and utilities — not to mention higher pay for their staff. So if possible, getting treatment outside of a city may lower your treatment price.

However, it’s also true that cities tend to have more dentists per capita than rural or suburban locations, so sometimes this competition will drive the prices down a bit. We suggest shopping around a little from office to office to see which place will be the best fit for you and your budget.

Financing Options

Usually, the dental office where you receive your treatment will offer some sort of in-house financing option like a payment plan. Be sure to check in with them and see what your options are.

Sometimes dentists offer package deals on their veneers, so if you buy X amount, they’ll offer you a discount. Be sure to ask if your dentist offers package deals. With a recurring expense like veneers, discounts like this can really add up over time.

Insurance Coverage

Insurance tends to view veneers as an elective cosmetic treatment, so it’s unlikely that they will contribute to your treatment total. However, if you are getting veneers due to a specific injury or tooth problem that has the potential to grow into a larger health concern, then they might cover part of the cost of your treatment.

How Does the Cost Compare to Other Options?

Veneers offer a more aesthetically dramatic and rapid change to your smile than other treatments, though it’s usually a more expensive and invasive procedure. Here we’ll compare veneers to other teeth treatments.

Clear Aligners

Clear aligners take a very different approach to treatment than veneers, but if your concern is closing gaps, they can achieve similar results. Aligners use force to gradually move your teeth into new positions, whereas veneers are shells put on top of your teeth in the positions they are already in. If you are dealing with lots of spacing or crowding, you may need to get orthodontic treatment like aligners or braces prior to getting veneers affixed.

Aligners are a more gradual road to a new smile, whereas veneers are practically instant. Aside from retainers, aligners aren’t an ongoing expense once you finish treatment. Veneers are a recurring expense every 5-15 years.

Aligners run anywhere from $3,000-$7,000 for in-office treatment and $1,100-$2,300 for at-home clear aligners, making them a much more affordable option than veneers.

Braces

Similar to clear aligners, braces use force to move your teeth into new positions — whereas veneers are put on top of your teeth in the positions they are already in. Braces can take on even the most severe jaw and bite issues, so if your condition is challenging but you’d like to have veneers one day, you may need to get full treatment with braces prior to getting veneers attached.

Though it may seem like moving teeth is a pretty invasive procedure, the permanence of removing enamel for veneers is a much more aggressive treatment than braces or aligners.

Braces are a slower and more methodical way to get a new smile, whereas veneers can be debuted right after your appointment. Aside from aftercare retainers, braces aren’t an ongoing expense once you finish treatment — whereas veneers need to be replaced every 5-15 years.

Though it depends on the severity of your condition, braces typically average about $5,000, making them a more approachable expense than veneers.

Bonding

Bonding is a treatment that applies resin to teeth and can help many of the same conditions veneers can (like chipped or misshapen teeth). Bonding is both much less invasive and much less expensive than veneers.

The conditions suitable for bonding are generally less severe than what veneers can treat, so if your discoloration or chipped teeth are on the milder side, bonding may be a great option for you! Bonding averages $100-$600 per tooth, which translates to significant savings compared to the range for veneers ($250-$2,500). Dental bonding does not do permanent damage to your teeth, so you aren’t committed to this expense forever like you are with traditional veneers.

Final Thoughts

Veneers can rapidly provide you with a smile that makes you feel transformed —  but they will cost you. With traditional veneers, this is a permanent procedure you will need to pay for over and over again in your life. For eight teeth, veneers will cost you anywhere from $2,000-$20,000 and last 5-15 years (depending on the type and materials you choose).

However, if your goal is to hide gaps in your teeth, actually aligning your bite to close them might be the better choice. Not only is this typically more affordable, but it can improve your overall oral health.

No matter what option you choose, treatment will deliver a smile you love.