What is a veneer?
A veneer is a thin porcelain shell that is applied to the surface of a tooth. It is used for aesthetic improvement and is therefore mainly applied in the visible frontal area. Since it is mostly an aesthetic treatment, a veneer is not paid for by the public health insurance companies.
Private health insurance companies only reimburse the treatment costs in exceptional cases, for example if professional disadvantages can be caused by ugly front teeth. The costs for a treatment with a veneer are relatively high and amount on average to about € 500.00. In case of severe discoloration of the teeth as well as for the correction of slight tooth misalignments or to close gaps between teeth that are not too large, veneers can be used for improved aesthetics.
The alternative would be a plastic or ceramic crown. However, to make a crown, the tooth would have to be ground down, which would result in the loss of valuable tooth substance. The regulation by a veneer avoids the grinding of the tooth for a restoration by a crown.
The enamel surface of the front surface of the tooth is ground down to a maximum depth of 1.0 mm. After an impression of the tooth is taken, a thin shell is made of porcelain in the dental laboratory, which is then attached to the ground tooth surface by the dentist. After careful drying, the surface is first cleaned and etched.
The inner surface of the veneer is also etched to allow a good bond between the enamel and the veneer. The porcelain shell is then attached to the surface of the tooth with an adhesive, which is a composite. This fixation is very durable and the veneer is very rare to come off.
However, if the enamel is very strongly fluoridated (see fluoridation), the fixation is more difficult, therefore high fluoridation should not be applied before the application of a veneer. A further development of the veneer technique is the possibility of producing extremely thin porcelain shells. This makes it possible to apply them without grinding the tooth surface.
A veneer is a good alternative to a crown, which is gentle on the tooth substance. The prerequisite is that the tooth is only discolored, there is a slight positional anomaly or there is a small tooth gap. A veneer requires only a very small loss of tooth substance, it is tissue compatible and durable.
In most cases, the costs are not reimbursed by the insurance companies. Since aesthetics is the main concern, the restoration with a veneer is not a service provided by the insurance companies.
