e.max Veneers

Where they may be suitable

• Discolouration that whitening does not improve
• Small chips, wear or irregular shapes on front teeth
• Small gaps between teeth
• Teeth that have enough enamel and are largely well aligned

Where they are not suitable, or something else comes first

• Gum disease or decay. These are treated first. Australian government health information (healthdirect) notes that veneers may not be suitable if you grind or clench your teeth or have gum disease².
• Clenching or grinding (bruxism). It raises the risk of the ceramic fracturing, and for some people veneers are not suitable at all. How severe it is will be assessed. A night guard may reduce the risk³, but it does not remove it.
• Heavily filled or worn teeth, or thin enamel. There may not be enough enamel left to bond to. Where a veneer is bonded to the tissue beneath the enamel (dentine), survival is lower⁴. A tooth that has lost much of its structure may need a partial restoration or a crown instead.
• Marked crowding or a bite problem. Lining teeth up by cutting them back removes more tissue and exposes dentine. Orthodontic treatment should be considered first.
• Healthy, well-shaped teeth where only the colour bothers you. Teeth whitening should be considered first; it removes no tooth tissue.
• Young people who are still growing. The gum level can change over time and the nerve chamber of the tooth is large, so veneers are usually postponed.

Where they have limits

• Very dark teeth. Thin, translucent veneers may not mask the colour well enough. A more opaque, thicker veneer needs more tissue removed.
• Habits such as biting nails or pens. These can chip the edge of a veneer.

The right option is decided at an examination, with X-rays assessed where needed.

An e.max veneer is not the only option, and often it should not be the first.

• Doing nothing. If your teeth are healthy and your concern is only how they look, leaving them alone is a valid choice.
• Teeth whitening. For colour, it works without removing tooth tissue. It acts on natural teeth only: whitening does not lighten crowns or veneers⁵, so natural teeth whitened later may no longer match them. Discuss whitening before the colour of the veneers is chosen.
• Composite bonding or composite veneers. Tooth-coloured filling material is shaped directly on the tooth, often in one appointment, with little or no tissue removed. Over time it needs repair or replacement more often than ceramic (see the comparison below). More on our composite bonding page.
• Orthodontic treatment. It moves crooked or gapped teeth rather than covering them. It takes months, and a retainer then holds the result.
• A crown. Only for a tooth that has lost much of its structure. On a sound front tooth it removes far more tissue than a veneer (see "Veneer or crown" below).

Our dental veneers page sets veneers, crowns, bonding and whitening side by side.

Treatment usually takes two or three appointments. The veneers are made in a laboratory between preparing the teeth and bonding them, so there is laboratory time between those two appointments. Your written plan should state the appointments and the days between them.

How much tissue is removed depends on the colour and position of the tooth and on the change you want. For its CAD product, the manufacturer gives 0.4 mm as the smallest thickness of an e.max veneer¹⁰. That is a lower limit for the ceramic under the manufacturer's conditions, not the amount taken from your tooth. In some selected cases a veneer can be made without removing any tooth tissue. This does not suit everyone, and it does not make the treatment reversible.

Risks and disadvantages

• It cannot be undone. Enamel that is removed does not grow back¹. From then on, the tooth will always need a veneer or another restoration.
• Fracture and coming off. In a review of 25 studies, these were the main reasons veneers failed¹¹, mostly in the early years. Not every small chip means the veneer has to be replaced.
• Effect on the nerve. The living tissue inside the tooth can be affected, and some teeth later need root canal treatment. The deeper the preparation, the higher this risk.
• Sensitivity. Teeth can become more sensitive because some enamel is removed². Tell a dentist if it does not settle or keeps getting worse.
• New decay. A veneer does not protect the tooth from decay. New decay can start at its edges.
• Stained edges and receding gums. Over the years, the edge of a veneer can become visible.
• Colour match. The colour of a veneer does not change after bonding. If your natural teeth change colour over time, a difference can appear.
• Replacement. No veneer lasts for ever. Each replacement may take a little more tissue from the tooth.

Benefits

• Much less tooth tissue is removed than for a crown.
• The ceramic lets light through in a way close to a natural tooth. In a two-year trial, the edges of ceramic veneers discoloured less often than those of composite veneers⁷.
• When bonded to enamel, veneers do well in long-term studies (see "How long do e.max veneers last?").

In British media, "Turkey teeth" is a loose label for extensive cosmetic dental work, such as a full row of very white crowns or veneers. One concern raised with it is that healthy front teeth were cut down for full crowns when the patient expected veneers. The criticism is not of the ceramic. It is of a plan that gave healthy teeth more treatment than they needed.

The difference is how much tooth is removed. For a veneer, usually only a thin layer of enamel is taken from the front. For a crown, the tooth is reduced on every surface, often through the enamel into the dentine beneath. Both can be made of e.max, so the material name does not tell you which one is planned.

The nerve of the tooth. A review pooled 37 studies of teeth that were alive before they received crowns or other indirect restorations. In about 5 in every 100 of these teeth, the nerve lost its vitality¹². The review gives no separate figure for veneers, and the certainty of this evidence is low.

The enamel. In a study of 580 veneers followed for up to 12 years, 99 in 100 survived where the preparation stayed in enamel¹³. Veneers bonded to dentine were about 10 times as likely to fail¹³. The more a tooth is cut, the less enamel is left.

What UK dentists report. The British Dental Association surveyed its members about patients treated abroad. Most of the dentists who answered named crowns as the treatment most likely to need follow-up work¹⁴. That is what responding dentists reported. It does not show how often treatment abroad goes wrong.

A crown is the right choice for a tooth that has lost much of its structure. On a healthy, straight front tooth, a crown for colour or a small fault in shape removes tissue for no clinical reason. The British Dental Association advises that patients should know the risks and alternatives to the treatment they want¹⁵. Before any tooth is prepared, ask:

1. Which teeth will have a veneer, which a crown, and which nothing?
2. For each crown, why is a veneer, bonding or whitening not enough for that tooth?
3. How much will be removed from each tooth, and can I have that in writing?

A plan that gives every tooth the same treatment needs a reason for each tooth. If earlier work has already failed, see our page on replacing previous dental work.

After the procedure, wait until the anaesthetic has worn off before eating or drinking. Mild sensitivity and tender gums are normal in the first days.

Daily care

• Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, and clean between your teeth every day.
• Do not bite hard objects with your front teeth, such as nails, pens or ice.
• If you clench or grind your teeth, wear your night guard every night.
• Keep up regular check-ups. The Oral Health Foundation notes that good daily cleaning and regular check-ups help veneers last longer¹⁶.

Studies do not give a lifespan in years. They report how many veneers are still in place after a period of time. That does not mean no problem or repair was needed. The figures below come from published studies, not from the clinic's own results.

A 2025 review that pooled 29 studies found that, of every 100 lithium disilicate veneers, about 97 were still in place after about 10 years⁶. A review of 25 studies and 6,500 ceramic veneers found about 95 in every 100 still in place at ten years¹¹. A 2024 review combined different glass ceramics, with a shorter average follow-up of 6.5 years. It found about 90 in every 100 veneers still in place¹⁷. These results come from different studies, so they cannot be compared directly.

What affects the result

Keeping the enamel. A retrospective study followed 672 veneers for up to 15 years, about 6 years on average. Estimated survival was about 97 in 100⁴ where the preparation stayed in enamel only. Where a large area of dentine was exposed, it was about 94 in 100.

Clenching and night guards. A retrospective study covered 70 patients. In the subgroup of 30 who clenched or ground their teeth, those who wore a night guard had fewer fractures³. The study was small and not randomised: a night guard may reduce the risk, but it does not remove it.

When a veneer needs replacing

Our sources give no typical age at which a veneer needs replacing, so we do not give one. When a veneer is replaced, the old ceramic is removed and a new one is made in a laboratory. A little more tissue may be lost each time. Plan for check-ups for as long as you have veneers.

Veneers can chip, crack or come loose. Small chips may be repaired, but sometimes a new veneer is needed¹⁶.

What to do

• If a veneer comes off, keep it in a clean container, and do not glue it back yourself.
• Avoid biting on that tooth until a dentist has seen it.
• If a veneer cracks or chips, or its edge feels rough, see a dentist.
• Write to the clinic and send photographs.

Once you are back in the UK

A dentist in the UK, usually your own, is the first to see the problem. If you do not have one, it helps to find one before you travel. A new e.max veneer usually needs a laboratory and more than one appointment, wherever it is made. Its colour also has to match the veneers beside it.

In England and Wales, having been treated abroad does not by itself shut you out of NHS dental care. However, the NHS free-repair and replacement provisions do not apply¹⁸ to work done by another provider. NHS treatment covers what is clinically necessary, which may not be a new e.max veneer. Ask any dentist about the cost before they repair or replace a veneer. Whether the clinic's written terms cover a veneer that fails after you are home is a question to ask before treatment (see the questions below).

Other reasons to contact a dentist

• Sensitivity that does not settle, or keeps getting worse
• Pain that starts on its own or wakes you at night
• Swelling, bleeding or discharge from the gum around a veneer
• Your bite feels high

If you think you have a dental abscess, do not wait. An abscess does not go away on its own and needs urgent treatment by a dentist¹⁹. If you have facial swelling or a fever, see a dentist where you are the same day, without waiting for the clinic's reply. In the UK, if you do not have a dentist or cannot get an urgent appointment, call NHS 111¹⁹.

Emergencies. The following need urgent medical help¹⁹. In the UK, call 999 or go to A&E. In Turkey, the emergency number is 112.

• Swelling that makes it hard to breathe, speak or swallow
• Swelling around your eye or in your neck²⁰
• A swollen or painful eye, or sudden problems with your sight
• A lot of swelling inside the mouth
• Difficulty opening your mouth

Before you fly home

Make sure your bite has been checked, and that you have written care instructions and a written record of your treatment. If you need a night guard, make sure it has been handed over.

Appointments and time

e.max veneers usually need two or three appointments, with laboratory time between preparing the teeth and bonding the veneers. You may wear temporary veneers in between. How many days you need in Antalya depends on how many teeth are treated. It also depends on whether other treatment is planned, such as whitening or treatment for decay or gum disease. If whitening is part of the plan, ask how it fits into the schedule. Before you book, ask for a written preliminary plan with the appointments and the number of days. It is based on your photographs, so the examination confirms or changes it, and with it the days and the cost. If it changes, ask for the revised plan in writing before any tooth is prepared. You can say no, or ask to stop, at any stage. Once a tooth has been prepared, that step cannot be undone.

Flying home

A 2023 review of flying after dental treatment suggests waiting at least 24 hours after restorative treatment²¹, and longer after surgical procedures. The authors note that the research is limited and comes mainly from military aviation. Treat it as a starting point for your dentist's advice, not as a rule.

Your own dentist and your records

The General Dental Council suggests talking to your own dentist²² before you go. They need to know the plan in case problems come up later. Veneers need check-ups for as long as you have them. National guidance in England (NICE) says the interval between check-ups should be set for each person according to their risk²³ and discussed with them.

Ask for a written record to take back to your dentist: which teeth have veneers, which have crowns, and the ceramic and shade used. The NHS lists exchanging medical records and arranging aftercare back home²⁴ among the things to consider. In Turkey, the health tourism regulation entitles international patients to an itemised bill. On request, they also get free copies of the records of the materials used, the tests and the imaging²⁵.

What the NHS does and does not do

In England and Wales, an NHS dental provider that accepts you as a patient provides clinically necessary treatment within its mandatory services, with your consent¹⁸. The free repair and replacement entitlement does not apply to work done elsewhere. The NHS also states that it is not liable for negligence or failure of treatment²⁴ when you have treatment abroad. This source covers England and Wales; in Scotland and Northern Ireland, ask the dentist how the rules apply to you.

Travel insurance

The NHS notes that most travel insurance policies will not cover you for planned treatment abroad²⁴, so you may need specialist cover. Tell your insurer about your plans before you book.

The General Dental Council lists questions to ask before treatment abroad²². Below is what this page can answer today, and what to ask for in writing.

1. Who will carry out my treatment, and what are their qualifications? The treatment is provided by our clinic in Antalya, Turkey. Ask for the name of the dentist who will prepare and fit your veneers. Ask where they qualified and what their title is.
2. Will my dentist speak English, or will an interpreter be there? Ask before you book. You need to understand your plan, your consent and your care instructions.
3. Are you regulated by a professional body and registered with it? In Turkey, a health facility needs an authorisation certificate²⁵ from the Ministry of Health to treat international patients. Authorised facilities appear in a register the Ministry publishes²⁶, so you can check it yourself. The authorisation belongs to the facility, not to the dentist, and it says nothing about the result of your treatment. Ask for the treating dentist's own registration details as well. See health tourism authorisation.
4. Will a dentist assess me before I get a plan and a cost estimate? The GDC says you should always be assessed by a qualified dentist before a treatment plan and cost estimate²². A plan made from photographs is preliminary. Ask for the final plan in writing before any tooth is prepared, tooth by tooth.
5. Is the work guaranteed, are the terms in writing, and for how long do they apply? This page makes no guarantee. Ask for the clinic's written terms for a veneer that chips, cracks or comes off. Ask whether they cover one that fails after you are back in the UK.
6. If there are complications, who pays for further treatment, extra flights and the hotel? Ask for the answer in writing before you commit. A remade veneer usually needs laboratory time, so it can mean another trip.
7. What aftercare do you provide, and who can I contact after the treatment? Your written plan should name who to contact, how, and in which language.
8. How many times have you done this, and what are your success and complication rates? The figures on this page come from published studies, not from the clinic's own results. Ask for the clinic's answer in writing, and how its figures were collected.
9. Do you have a complaints system, and can I see a copy? Ask for it before treatment. The GDC says it cannot resolve complaints or help with refunds²⁷; its investigations concern the dentists on its own register. Turkish regulation makes the facility responsible for complications and medical malpractice arising after the health service it provided²⁵.

The NHS names warning signs to think about before booking any treatment abroad. They are a hard sell, a lack of information, pressure to make a quick decision, no discussion of possible complications, and no mention of aftercare²⁸. Apply them to this clinic too.

This page does not show prices. A treatment plan is prepared for you after an examination. The main factors that shape it are:

• How many teeth will have veneers, and whether any need a crown or nothing at all
• Other treatment: whitening, treatment for decay or gum disease, or orthodontic treatment
• The trial (mock-up), temporary veneers and a night guard, if needed
• The ceramic and the laboratory work
• The number of trips the appointments need

Ask for the plan in writing, including what it covers and what would be charged separately. Ask too who pays for further treatment and extra travel if there is a complication.

If you are comparing with a quote from a UK practice, compare what each one includes, tooth by tooth: veneer or crown, and which material.