How Much Do Porcelain Veneers Cost?
Dental veneers are cosmetic dental treatments that are primarily used to mask flaws that affect the appearance of the teeth, though anyone with stable healthy teeth can use veneers to build a straighter, brighter smile. Dental veneers can be made of composite resin material or porcelain. Very thin layers of the preferred material are bonded onto the fronts of the teeth, hiding stains, fractures, or other unsightly imperfections and restoring the aesthetically ideal size, shape, and shade of the visible front teeth.
There are multiple factors that influence the cost of dental veneers, but the material used has the greatest effect on cost. The average base cost for composite resin veneers is around $500, while porcelain veneers generally have a base price of about $1,500, but even within these ranges, there’s vast cost variation.
Because dental veneers are strictly cosmetic, they aren’t covered by typical dental insurance plans, but many people find the added costs of porcelain to be a worthy investment, in light of its natural appearance and luster and its durability. The reputation and location of the cosmetic dentist will also affect treatment costs, but again, when considered as an aesthetic investment, these qualifications are often worth it.
Some composite dental veneers are made off-site, in a dental lab, while others are sculpted and placed directly in the dental clinic. Veneers made in dental labs require more complex preparation and additional labor, which can lead to price tags in the $2,500 range for each tooth, whereas composite veneers made on-site could cost as little as $500 per tooth.
The average price for Porcelain Veneers is $1,500 per tooth, though these costs also range dramatically, between $850 to as much as $3,000 for one porcelain veneer. It’s rare that a person would only get one veneer, though it is possible; even if only one visible tooth is damaged, most people want their teeth to match perfectly and should consider the number of teeth being restored, as well as the desired results, when calculating the cost of porcelain veneers.
In addition to the materials costs for veneers, dental visits and preparatory treatments will each accrue their own cost, though many of these may be covered by dental insurance. These additional costs will include your initial examination and various types of x-rays. Dental examinations not covered by insurance cost anywhere from $50 to $250, and different kinds of x-rays and images range from $25 to $250.
Wax models used by lab technicians to ensure perfectly fitting veneers add to the total cost; these diagnostic wax-ups can add as much as $300 to overall treatment costs. If you have any tooth decay, your dentist will treat this before placing veneers, and if you have gum disease, this will also be treated, either by your dentist or by a periodontist. These additional preparatory procedures will increase the overall cost of treatment, but many clinically necessary procedures can be expected to be covered, at least in part, by insurance.
While the cost of the veneers themselves is unlikely to be covered by insurance, talk to your dentist about financing options and dental discount programs that can help defray costs and set you on your way for a newly flawless smile with porcelain veneers.
Porcelain Veneers Composite Veneers vs Porcelain Veneers
