What porcelain veneers cost in Karachi, and how a smile makeover is planned.

Ceramic veneers are the most aesthetic restoration in dentistry, and done correctly they can change a patient’s life. They also need very little preparation of the tooth compared with a crown. What they need is meticulous planning.

It starts at a consultation: the mouth and teeth are examined, an impression is taken and photographs are made in different poses. A mock-up is then built on models or photographs to show how the finished veneers will look, and shown to you at the next visit. That mock-up can also be transferred onto your own teeth as a trial. Once the plan is accepted the teeth are minimally prepared, an impression is taken and the case goes to the laboratory. At the next appointment the veneers are tried on and you accept them before they are fixed, a tedious and laborious process, and then the bite is checked and you are seen again about a week later.

Four things are needed: good quality and quantity of enamel, fair oral hygiene, a good bite, and all of your biting teeth present. Veneers bond to enamel, so if it has been destroyed by decay or is missing or defective from birth, they may not work. If the bite is not right they can fail, break or crack from overload. And if the back teeth are missing, most of the biting pressure lands on the front teeth, which will also lead to failure.