Real cases from our clinic
Patients of Dr Haim Aseriel, photographed at the clinic and shared with their consent. Drag the line across the photo to compare.
Dental veneers
- Real patients of the clinic
- Published with patient consent
- Every result is individual
What are veneers? What the research says
Veneers are one of the most common cosmetic treatments in dentistry. According to a systematic review and meta-analysis, about 95.7% of feldspathic porcelain veneers bonded to enamel survived 5 years, and the 10-year estimate was close to 95% (Layton et al., Int J Prosthodont, 2012).
At Dr Haim Aseriel's dental clinic in Jerusalem, veneers are made from several materials: E.max (lithium disilicate) for a natural look, zirconia for patients with bite problems or teeth grinding, nano-ceramic and composite. The approach is conservative: keeping as much natural tooth structure as possible, to limit the need for more invasive treatment later on. Consultations are held in English, and you leave with a written treatment plan.
How do veneers work? The veneers process in 3 steps
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Step 1: consultation and assessment
At the consultation, Dr Haim Aseriel examines your teeth and gums and builds a treatment plan for your case. He goes over the veneer options, the materials, the pros and cons of each, and answers your questions in English.
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Step 2: digital planning and fabrication
At the clinic, ceramic veneers are planned from a digital scan (Shining 3D Aoralscan 3 intraoral scanner) and made in the clinic's own dental lab; direct composite veneers are built up on the tooth itself. According to the clinic's lab, making an E.max veneer takes about 35 minutes (fabrication time, not the length of the appointment), so in suitable cases the veneer is ready the same day. The goal is a precise fit, a natural look and long-term durability.
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Step 3: bonding and follow-up
At the bonding visit, Dr Aseriel bonds the veneers, checks your bite and makes final adjustments. You then receive aftercare instructions, and follow-up visits are scheduled.
Benefits of veneers compared with crowns
Unlike crowns, which require extensive removal of tooth structure, veneers preserve most of the natural enamel.
Preserving enamel is a key factor in how long a veneer lasts, because bonding to enamel is stronger and more stable than bonding to dentin.
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porcelain veneers followed for about 9 years on average
A prospective study comparing no-prep or minimal-prep porcelain veneers with conventionally prepared veneers found no complete failures among the no-prep veneers (102 veneers), versus 10 failures in the conventional-preparation group (84 veneers) (Smielak et al., Clin Oral Investig, 2022).
Ceramic veneers also keep their color well over time, while composite veneers are more prone to staining at the edges and losing their shine. A no-prep or minimal-prep veneer preserves most of the tooth, compared with full coverage by a dental crown.
Drawbacks and limitations
- Irreversible preparation for porcelain: a thin layer of enamel is usually removed, so the treatment cannot be undone. Direct composite veneers are usually built with little or no preparation.
- Replacement over the years: a veneer can crack, come loose or wear, and then needs repair or replacement. Outside controlled trials, 53% of porcelain veneers placed in the public dental service in England and Wales survived 10 years without re-intervention (Burke & Lucarotti, J Dent, 2009).
- Possible sensitivity: mild, temporary sensitivity in the first days after bonding is possible; sensitivity that persists should be checked.
How are veneers placed? What matters during treatment
Veneer treatment has three main stages: consultation and planning, tooth preparation, and bonding of the final veneer.
At the bonding visit, the dentist cleans the tooth surface, gently etches the enamel and then seats the veneer precisely. The quality of bonding is a key technical factor in how long a veneer lasts: according to a literature review, contamination with blood or saliva and incorrect treatment of the ceramic surface increase the risk of debonding (Alghazzawi, J Funct Biomater, 2024).
Who should not get porcelain veneers?
Porcelain veneers are not suitable, at least not before preliminary treatment, for patients with uncontrolled bruxism, active tooth decay, gum disease or significant enamel loss. In a study that followed porcelain veneers for up to 20 years, teeth grinding was associated with a 7.7 times higher risk of failure, and root-canal-treated teeth failed more often (Beier et al., Int J Prosthodont, 2012).
A study of porcelain veneers placed within the public dental service in England and Wales found that 53% survived without re-intervention after 10 years (Burke & Lucarotti, J Dent, 2009). Patient-related factors influenced the outcome.
In these cases, the underlying problem is treated first, for example with gum treatment or a night guard for grinding, so that you get the solution that fits your situation.
Cost of dental veneers: what affects the price?
The cost of dental veneers depends on the material, the number of teeth treated and the clinical complexity of each case.
The clinic does not publish a fixed price, because every treatment plan is tailored to the patient: the number of teeth, any preliminary treatment (such as gum treatment or whitening) and the type of material all change the cost.
E.max and zirconia veneers require laboratory work, so they generally cost more than direct composite veneers.
After the consultation, you receive a detailed, itemized written quote for your treatment plan, and itemized receipts that you can submit to your insurer if you plan to request reimbursement. Coverage depends on your policy, so check with your insurer before treatment. More details: how much do veneers cost.
Examination, treatment plan and price quote
detailed and personalized
During the consultation, Dr Haim Aseriel examines your teeth, explains all the options and gives you a transparent price quote, with no obligation. The clinic is at 12 HaTnufa Street, Jerusalem.
How to prepare for veneers
Take a concrete example: a patient with stubborn tetracycline stains comes in for a consultation. Before any veneer planning, a gum examination, a professional cleaning and a check of tooth stability are needed, and these steps are completed before any impression or digital scan.
Preparing for veneers involves a full examination, X-rays when needed, a digital scan and careful aesthetic planning before any tooth is prepared.
During tooth preparation, a thin layer of enamel is removed, usually up to about 0.5 mm, and sometimes no preparation is needed at all (Vanlıoğlu & Kulak-Özkan, Clin Cosmet Investig Dent, 2014). Preparing a tooth for a full crown removes much more tooth structure. After preparation, a temporary veneer is placed if needed, and the digital scan is sent to the clinic's lab to make the final veneer.
Types of veneers compared
The table summarizes the main differences between types of veneers, with durability data from published studies only. The figures come from different studies with different follow-up periods, so they cannot be used to rank the materials precisely against each other.
| Type of veneer | Material and fabrication | Tooth preparation | Durability data in studies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feldspathic porcelain | Classic ceramic, made in a laboratory (at least 2 visits) | Minimal preparation within the enamel, usually up to about 0.5 mm | About 95.7% survived 5 years; estimated about 95% at 10 years (Layton et al., 2012) |
| Thin laminate / no-prep | Very thin ceramic shell (about 0.3–0.5 mm), made in a laboratory | No preparation or minimal preparation | No complete failures among 102 no-prep veneers, at a mean follow-up of about 9 years (Smielak et al., 2022) |
| E.max (lithium disilicate) | Lithium disilicate glass-ceramic, pressed or milled (CAD/CAM) | Minimal preparation or none | Glass-ceramics: estimated survival of about 94% at a median follow-up of 9 years (Morimoto et al., 2016); fracture in 1.3%–1.5% of E.max veneers within 45 months (Sulaiman et al., 2015) |
| Zirconia | Polycrystalline ceramic, milled in a laboratory | Minimal preparation, depending on veneer thickness | In a 3-year study (60 veneers), no significant difference compared with E.max (Fawakhiri et al., 2023) |
| Nano-ceramic | Ceramic particles in a resin matrix (resin-matrix ceramic), milled with CAD/CAM | Minimal preparation | Elasticity close to that of dentin (Bajraktarova-Valjakova et al., 2018); no long-term survival data for veneers made of this material in the sources reviewed |
| Direct composite | Composite resin built up directly on the tooth, in one visit | No preparation or minimal preparation | Annual failure rate of about 4%, versus about 1.2%–1.4% for ceramic veneers at the same practice, over up to 10 years (Mazzetti et al., 2022) |
| Indirect no-prep composite | Composite resin made in a laboratory and bonded to the tooth | No preparation | About 91.3% survived 7 years (80 veneers) (Kam Hepdeniz & Temel, 2023) |
| Full crown (for comparison) | Covers the whole tooth, made in a laboratory | About 63%–72% of the crown's tooth structure removed, versus about 3%–30% for a veneer (Edelhoff & Sorensen, 2002) | See the dental crowns page |
How to choose the right type of veneer
Direct composite veneers allow faster treatment at a lower cost, while porcelain and E.max veneers last longer: in a study that followed 1,459 veneers for up to 10 years, the risk of failure of direct composite veneers was about 4 times higher than that of ceramic veneers (Mazzetti et al., Dent Mater, 2022).
Dr Haim Aseriel assesses how much enamel is available, the size of the aesthetic problem and the load on the teeth (bruxism). You can read more about what affects the cost of veneers; a detailed quote is given at the end of the consultation.
Types of dental veneers: porcelain, laminate, E.max, zirconia, nano-ceramic and composite
There are several main types of veneers, each suited to different clinical situations. Choosing one requires a professional assessment that weighs the condition of the tooth, your expectations and your treatment budget.
- Porcelain veneers: lab-made ceramic shells with long-term follow-up data, the classic choice for front teeth.
- Dental laminates (laminate veneers): very thin ceramic shells placed with minimal or no preparation, to preserve as much enamel as possible.
- E.max veneers: metal-free lithium disilicate glass-ceramic (E.max) that combines strength with natural translucency.
- Zirconia veneers: a very strong polycrystalline ceramic, considered for teeth with significant structural loss; long-term data are still lacking.
- Composite veneers: lower cost, can be done directly in the chair without laboratory work, and can be repaired locally.
- Nano-ceramic veneers: ceramic particles in a resin matrix, a more flexible material than conventional ceramic.
The choice of veneer depends first and foremost on the condition of your enamel and on the goals of your treatment.
What to expect at your veneers consultation
The first consultation with Dr Haim Aseriel includes an examination and a plan of the intended result before any work begins.
From a scan with the clinic's Shining 3D Aoralscan 3 intraoral scanner, a DSD (Digital Smile Design) simulation shows how your teeth are planned to look with veneers, before any tooth is prepared. The simulation is a planning and decision tool, not a promise of an identical result; it helps avoid misunderstandings and lets the plan be adjusted to your preferences. The clinic is at 12 HaTnufa Street in Talpiot, south Jerusalem; to book a consultation, contact the English-speaking dental clinic in Jerusalem.
Who are veneers for? What veneers can fix
Veneers suit a range of clinical situations: stubborn stains that do not respond to teeth whitening, a gap between teeth, mildly crooked teeth, mildly protruding teeth or worn teeth. Dr Haim Aseriel assesses each patient individually to decide whether veneers are the right solution or whether more extensive cosmetic dentistry is needed.
How long do veneers last? What durability depends on
How long a veneer lasts depends on the material, the quality of bonding and your habits after treatment.
At the clinic, ceramic veneers are made from metal-free materials such as zirconia and E.max, and are bonded following a careful adhesive protocol.
A retrospective clinical study of 154 porcelain veneers, on vital teeth and on root-canal-treated teeth, found only one failed veneer (due to secondary decay) over a mean follow-up of 7 to 8 years, with no significant difference between the groups (Zarow et al., Bioengineering, 2023).
If several teeth need work, veneers can be part of a broader full mouth rehabilitation plan.
Check-ups and follow-up after veneers
A systematic review and meta-analysis found an estimated survival of about 87% for feldspathic porcelain veneers and about 94% for glass-ceramic veneers, at a median follow-up of 9 years; fracture or chipping was the most common complication (Morimoto et al., Int J Prosthodont, 2016).
How often you need a check-up depends on your oral health and your individual risk of tooth decay and gum disease. For many patients it is every six months; for others it is more or less often, as advised by the dentist.
Check-up after bonding, as advised by the dentist
Regular check-ups based on your individual risk
Early repair of small defects
At these visits, Dr Haim Aseriel checks the integrity of the veneers, the bonding, the health of the surrounding gums and your bite. Regular follow-up makes it possible to catch small problems early, before a veneer has to be replaced.
Repairing a damaged veneer
In practice, many veneer defects, such as small chips or partial debonding, can be repaired locally without replacing the whole veneer, provided they are found early.
E.max and zirconia veneers
In a systematic review, veneers not made of feldspathic porcelain showed lower failure rates (Alenezi et al., J Clin Med, 2021). Even when an E.max or zirconia veneer is damaged, a prompt examination makes it possible to choose between repair and replacement.
Urgent appointments
If a veneer breaks or comes off, call the clinic at 03-912-1879: urgent cases are given priority scheduling during opening hours (Sun 8:00–19:00 · Mon 9:00–19:00 · Tue–Wed 9:00–21:00 · Thu 8:30–21:00 · Fri 8:00–14:00). See also dental emergencies.
Veneers consultation with Dr Haim Aseriel
To book a consultation with Dr Haim Aseriel, a US-trained dentist (DDS, NYU College of Dentistry), call the clinic or use the contact form. You can also read patient reviews or more about Dr Haim Aseriel.
Dental veneers: frequently asked questions
Dental veneers are thin shells of porcelain, glass-ceramic (such as E.max), zirconia or composite resin bonded to the front surface of a tooth to improve its color, shape and size. Veneers are usually considered for stubborn stains that do not respond to whitening, gaps between teeth, mildly crooked teeth, and worn or slightly chipped front teeth.
Porcelain veneers bonded to enamel usually last many years: in a systematic review, about 96% survived 5 years, and the 10-year estimate was close to 95%. Direct composite veneers fail more often than ceramic veneers, so they tend to need more repairs over the years.
Porcelain veneers are not suitable, at least not before preliminary treatment, for patients with uncontrolled bruxism (teeth grinding), active tooth decay, gum disease (periodontitis) or significant enamel loss. Teeth grinding is associated with a much higher risk of porcelain veneer fracture.
The cost of dental veneers depends on the material, the number of teeth, any treatment needed beforehand and the complexity of the case. Lab-made ceramic veneers generally cost more than direct composite veneers, which is why a written quote is only given after an examination.
After veneers, how often you need a check-up depends on your oral health and your individual risk of tooth decay and gum disease. For many patients it is every six months; for others it is more or less often, as advised by the dentist.
Sources
- Layton DM, Clarke M, Walton TR, International Journal of Prosthodontics, 2012 – View the study
- Morimoto S et al., International Journal of Prosthodontics, 2016 – View the study
- Alenezi A et al., Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2021 – View the study
- Smielak B, Armata O, Bojar W, Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022 – View the study
- Zarow M et al., Bioengineering (Basel), 2023 – View the study
- Beier US et al., International Journal of Prosthodontics, 2012 – View the study
- Burke FJ, Lucarotti PS, Journal of Dentistry, 2009 – View the study
- Edelhoff D, Sorensen JA, Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, 2002 – View the study
- Vanlıoğlu BA, Kulak-Özkan Y, Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dentistry, 2014 – View the study
- Alghazzawi TF, Journal of Functional Biomaterials, 2024 – View the study
- Sulaiman TA et al., Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, 2015 – View the study
- Fawakhiri HA et al., Clinical and Experimental Dental Research, 2023 – View the study
- Bajraktarova-Valjakova E et al., Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences, 2018 – View the study
- Mazzetti T et al., Dental Materials, 2022 – View the study
- Kam Hepdeniz O, Temel UB, BMC Oral Health, 2023 – View the study
- American Dental Association, Home Oral Care, 2024 – View the source
- Fee PA et al., Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020 – View the study
