Study and photographs
Exploration, 3D scanner, photos, and analysis of your smile: proportions, lip line, starting colour. It is also decided here whether it is better to align or bleach first.
Dental aesthetics in the south of Tenerife
Dental veneers in Los Cristianos, designed around your smile
A well-done veneer is a very thin lamina that transforms the smile by carving tenths of a millimetre — or nothing. A poorly indicated veneer is a disguised crown. On this page we tell you the difference, the correct order of the treatment plan, and the questions you should ask at any clinic, including this one.
Treatments with flexible financing — detailed conditions in writing at the clinic.
- Wax-up and intraoral try-in before preparation
- When is prior orthodontics recommended
- We serve in Spanish and English
Quick summary
The most important thing before deciding
0,3–0,5mm of typical reduction in a well-indicated veneer — sometimes none
~2 mmthe preparation of a full crown. If they offer you veneers with that kind of preparation, they are not veneers
95,5 %10-year survival rate of porcelain veneers in the largest published study
1st → 3rdthe correct order: align, whiten, and then veneers
- What are they: porcelain or composite veneers bonded to the visible surface of the tooth to change shape and colour.
- The honest decision: composite and porcelain have different uses — not "one good and one bad".
- The try-in before preparation: here you see your new smile rehearsed on your mouth (mock-up) before touching the enamel.
- The irreversible: A prepared tooth never grows back. That is why everything that came before matters so much.
What exactly is a dental veneer?
A thin sheet —of porcelain or composite— that adheres to the front surface of the tooth to correct its colour, shape, or minor flaws: worn edges, minor fractures, gaps, "short" teeth.
The keyword is adhesion. A veneer is not "fitted": it is chemically bonded to the enamel, and that bond is what gives it its strength. That is why the most long-lasting results occur when the preparation is minimal and the veneer is bonded onto enamel, not on dentin — and that's why a well-made veneer is carved in tenths of a millimetre, not millimetres.
That technical nuance, which sounds like something for dentists, is exactly the difference between a veneer and the disasters you might have seen in the press. We explain it below without beating around the bush.
Composite or porcelain: differences, advantages, and limits
There is no "the good one and the bad one". There are two tools with different indications, prices, and lifespans.
| Appearance | Composite | Porcelain |
|---|---|---|
| How is it done | Modelled directly on the tooth, in one session | Custom-made in the laboratory and cemented afterwards |
| Carving | Minimal or none | Minimum (tenths of a mm) in conservative hands |
| Aesthetics | Very good; loses shine and can stain over the years | Excellent and stable: does not stain |
| Indicative lifespan | 4–8 years, with touch-ups | About 95 % survives 10 years in long-term studies |
| If it gets damaged | Repaired in the dental chair, the same day | It usually requires replacing the veneer |
| Relative price | Lower per tooth | Higher per tooth (laboratory included) |
A nuance of the studies that almost no one cites: "surviving" does not mean "intact". Ancient (feldspathic) porcelains accumulate significantly more technical incidents at ten years than modern ones. lithium disilicate. Concrete material matters — always ask, here and at any clinic.
What sets us apart
The correct order: align, whiten, and then veneers
There is a well-known temptation in dental aesthetics: using veneers to "straighten" crooked teeth by shaving down more where the tooth protrudes. It has been called "instant orthodontics," and it's a bad deal for your enamel: you pay with a healthy tooth for what orthodontics would do without touching it.
The criterion we apply —and which is defended by restorative dentists from the General Council itself— is the reverse: Veneers are the final step of the solution, not the shortcut. With the teeth aligned first, the grinding goes down to tenths of a millimetre or disappears, fewer veneers are needed, and the ones that are placed last longer because they are bonded to enamel.
In this clinic, that order is real, not theoretical: Dr. Lissett manages the orthodontics with Invisalign and 3D printed aligners, and whitening it is done before of choosing the shade of the veneer — because the veneer does not whiten afterwards. Align, lighten, and only then: minimally invasive veneers, and only the necessary ones.
Does it take longer than getting eight veneers on a Tuesday? Yes. Does it preserve your tooth for decades to come? Also yes.
How we work
Your veneers step by step — with a test drive before prepping
In selected cases we also work with the system First Fit, in which Dr. Rodríguez is certified: the veneers are computer-designed from a 3D scan and placed all at once with a printed guide, in two appointments and with minimal preparation — without passing through provisional veneers. And when the problem is just black triangles or small gaps, the system Bioclear He closes them with anatomical matrices and composite, without prepping anything. Which one is best for your case is decided at the consultation, not on the brochure.
Diagnostic wax-up
The laboratory models your future smile on your model (digital or physical wax-up). It is the blueprint of the work — and you should ask for it in any quotation.
Mock-up: the try-in in your mouth
That design is transferred to your mouth with provisional resin, without any tooth preparation. You look with the new smile, you give your opinion, it fits. Only when it convinces you, we continue.
Minimal preparation
The essentials are shaved down — tenths of a millimetre, and in selected cases nothing — guided by the mock-up. You leave with aesthetic temporaries.
Cemented
The final veneers are tried in, the shade of the cement is adjusted, and they are bonded one by one under isolation. This is the step that determines their longevity: it is done without rush.
Review and fine-tuning
Bite control and polishing a few days later, and the veneers are integrated into your check-up routine. If you grind your teeth, your night guard is delivered here.
Let's be clear
"Turkey teeth": veneers, crowns, and the difference that explains it all
Let's start with fair play, in the words of the president of the General Council of Dentists of Spain: not all clinics in Turkey do poor work — there are excellent professionals everywhere. The problem is the model where the person is treated as a numberdiagnosis by email with an X-ray, complete treatment in three days and return flight without follow-up appointments.
What that model sells as "veneers" is, in many documented cases, something else. The institutional numbers are these: a veneer is a sheet of 0.8 to 1.5 mm with minimal or no preparation; a full crown requires cutting the entire tooth, around 2 mm — more than half the tooth. Grinding down twenty young teeth into stumps to put crowns on them is not dental aesthetics: it is a mortgage on your enamel that you will pay for in the form of root canals and replacements for the rest of your life.
It is not theory. The General Council documented the first Spanish patients returned harmed from Turkey: six cases aged between 30 and 35 years—four recruited as an organised group from Mallorca—one of them with twenty restorations and several root canals due to pain. In the UK, a professional survey cited by the Council found that 597 out of 1,000 dentists they had already treated patients with complications after low-cost treatments abroad.
Our stance is not "don't travel": it is order the same there as here. In-person diagnosis before accepting a plan. Wax-up and mock-up before anyone preps your teeth. Knowing how many millimetres will be prepped and what material the bonding will be on. Check-ups included and a warranty you can claim under Spanish law. If an offer doesn't stand up to those five questions, it wasn't an offer.
An important point: the treatment is irreversible
A prepared tooth does not grow back. If one day a veneer reaches the end of its life—and over the years, it does—it is not "removed": it is replaced by another. It is a lifelong commitment to the maintenance of that restoration, and you should sign it knowing that.
This is the deep reason for all of the above: of minimal preparation (less enamel compromised today = more options 20 years from now), of the mock-up (testing before the irreversible), of the align-bleach-veneers sequence (fewer and thinner veneers), and even of our preference for the composite in young patients with minor aesthetic demands: it is repairable, delays the irreversible and does not close doors — for localised touch-ups, that philosophy has its own page: bonding.
If in any consultation —including this one— they do not explain to you what happens to your veneers in 15 years, ask. The answer defines whether you are dealing with a plan or a sale.
Are veneers right for you?
Magnificent tool for the right problem. And there are clear signs of when they aren't — or not yet.
They fit well if…
- You have worn, short, or jagged-edged teeth that you want to restore
- There is deep stains that teeth whitening does not resolve (tetracyclines, treated teeth)
- You want to close small spaces or unifying shapes — with the teeth now reasonably aligned
- You are looking for a stable change and you are willing to maintain it (follow-up checks, night guard if applicable)
Better another way if...
- There is crowding or malocclusion: first orthodontics; then, maybe you won't even need veneers
- Severe uncontrolled bruxismclenching breaks porcelain — a night guard first, and materials chosen wisely
- Insufficient enamel due to severe wear or erosion: adhesion would lack a base — other restorations are evaluated
- Untreated cavities or gumsaesthetics are built on a healthy mouth, never on top of the problem
And one more common-sense sign: if what you're worried about is just the colour, start with the whiteningIt is cheaper, requires no tooth preparation, and is often enough.
Maintenance: what extends (or shortens) the life of a veneer
Veneers don't require anything exotic, just consistency. Normal and thorough hygiene — the veneer doesn't decay, but the tooth underneath does. Regular check-ups, where we check the adhesion, margins, and bite.
What really kills them: use them as a tool. Opening things with your teeth, biting nails and pens, ice. And enemy number one: the nocturnal bruxism without a night guard — clenching for hours multiplies porcelain fractures. If you clench, the night guard is not a budget extra: it's the insurance for everything else.
With that covered, long numbers work in your favor: in ten-year studies, the vast majority of porcelain veneers remain in the mouth and functioning.
Transparency
Cost of veneers: why it varies so much and what to ask
Veneer options
Injected veneers
From €199
Disilicate veneers
From €499
High aesthetic feldspathic
From €750
The material, the number of veneers, and the need for a prior design are determined after studying the smile and the bite. The quotation breaks down each piece and each phase before starting.
Indicative price. The final quotation depends on the clinical evaluation and is provided in writing before starting treatment.
The price per veneer varies mostly due to three things: material (composite vs. porcelain, and which porcelain), the laboratory what is behind, and — what no one details — what's included. A market fact: almost no quotation specifies whether the wax-up and mock-up are included. Precisely the steps whose absence explains the disasters.
The questions you should ask for any veneer quotation
- Does it include the diagnostic wax-up and mock-up in the mouth before preparation?
- What exact material — composite, feldspathic, disilicate — and why for my case?
- ¿How much enamel It is going to be etched, and the bonding will remain on the enamel?
- Does it include provisional while they are being manufactured, and the night guard Do I need it?
- What does the warranty, for how long, and to whom is the claim made?
Our budget answers all five in writing, following the study. Flexible financing available; conditions detailed at the clinic.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about dental veneers
Do veneers hurt?
Minimal preparation is done with local anaesthesia when needed, and many cases of minimal preparation hardly require it. After cementing, there may be mild sensitivity for a few days, which subsides on its own.
How long do veneers last?
Porcelain restorations show a survival rate of around 95 % at 10 years in long-term studies; composite restorations last shorter (approximately 4–8 years) but can be repaired in the dental chair. In both cases, proper maintenance and wearing a night guard—if you’re diligent about it—make all the difference.
Composite or porcelain, which one is right for me?
It depends on your age, your enamel, your bite, and your goal. Composite is repairable and less invasive initially; porcelain is more stable and does not stain. We will give you the comparison applied to your case in the study, with both options quoted if both are viable.
Will it be noticeable that I have veneers?
Not well-made: the design starts from your proportions and the wax-up, and you approve the result in your own mouth with the mock-up before anything is manufactured. The overly white, cookie-cutter "catalogue" veneers are precisely what the mock-up avoids.
I have crooked teeth, should I just get veneers and be done with it?
It is almost always better to align first: cutting healthy enamel to simulate alignment is a bad trade-off. With prior orthodontics, fewer veneers, thinner ones — or none at all — are often needed.
I grind my teeth at night, can I get veneers?
Yes, with conditions: bruxism must be evaluated, the material is chosen with it in mind, and the night guard is mandatory. Without a guard, clenching for hours every night multiplies porcelain fractures.
What happens to my veneers in 15 or 20 years?
They are inspected and, when they reach the end of their lifespan, they are replaced with new ones — they are not just "removed". It is a lifelong maintenance commitment, and we prefer that you know this before carving the first millimetre.
In Turkey they cost me half as much, why not?
Ask for the same things there as here: an in-person diagnosis before the treatment plan, a wax-up and mock-up before preparation, how many millimetres they are going to prep your teeth, included follow-up visits, and a claimable warranty. The low price usually disappears as soon as the plan includes those five things—or the plan doesn't include them, and then you already know what you're buying.
First visit
Request your veneer consultation in Los Cristianos
The first visit is informative and without commitment: examination, photographs, scanner, and written quotation — with the order of the plan explained. Write to us and we will call you to schedule an appointment.
- AddressCalle Barranquillo, 2
38650 Los Cristianos, Arona (Santa Cruz de Tenerife) - Phone and WhatsApp+34 654 58 55 53
- Emailinfo@smiletenerife.com
- Opening hoursMonday and Wednesday: 10:00 – 19:00
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 10:00 – 17:00
Saturdays and Sundays: closed