Cosmetic Dentistry: Veneers, Smile Makeovers and Aesthetic Treatment
Cosmetic dentistry changes the colour, shape, position or gum line of teeth. This page helps anyone choosing between whitening, composite bonding, composite or porcelain veneers, clear aligners, gum contouring and smile makeovers at Deepcar Dental Care. It compares how much natural tooth each keeps and whether it can be undone, then covers suitability, planning and prices. Options that keep more natural tooth leave more choices open.
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Clinically reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, dentist · GDC 301711
This page is reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz. He is the practice's principal dentist and a General Dental Practitioner registered with the General Dental Council (GDC 301711). His qualifications are BDS, BSc (Hons), an MSc from Leeds (2023), a PG Cert in Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry (2024) and a PG Dip in Implant Dentistry (2024).
What does cosmetic dentistry cover?
Cosmetic dentistry, also called aesthetic dentistry, is treatment chosen mainly to change how teeth and gums look rather than to treat disease. It works on colour (whitening), shape and length (bonding, veneers, recontouring), position (aligners) and the gum line (gum contouring). Several treatments combined into one plan make a smile makeover.
If you want to improve your smile, start with what you want to change: stained or dull teeth are often a starting point for whitening; chips, gaps and uneven edges for bonding or veneers; crooked teeth for aligners; and an uneven gum line for gum contouring, where it suits.
The other question is how much natural tooth you are prepared to alter. Where the main problem is damage or decay, repairing and rebuilding damaged teeth is the place to start.
To read about each cosmetic treatment in turn, browse this section of the site. Options, planning, longevity and cost are brought together in our guide to cosmetic dentistry.
Which cosmetic treatments are available?
Cosmetic treatment at Deepcar Dental Care includes teeth whitening, composite bonding, composite and porcelain veneers, clear aligners, gum contouring and tooth recontouring. It also includes gap closure, black triangle closure, replacement of old discoloured fillings and smile makeovers.
Teeth whitening
Teeth whitening lightens natural teeth with a peroxide gel worn in trays. At Deepcar Dental Care, professionally whitening your teeth is a take-home course using the Enlighten or Boutique systems, with no whitening light.
Composite bonding and composite veneers
Composite bonding means reshaping teeth with composite: tooth-coloured resin is added to the surface of a tooth to change its shape, close a gap or repair a chip. It usually needs no drilling and no injection, and bonding on six teeth can be completed in a single visit in suitable cases. Composite veneers cover the whole front surface of a tooth and can be built directly or made in a laboratory.
Porcelain veneers
A porcelain veneer is a thin ceramic facing bonded to the front of a tooth to change its colour, shape or size. Treatment takes 2 to 6 visits, depending on complexity and the number of veneers, and minimal-preparation or no-preparation veneers are used where suitable. Materials include E.max, feldspathic porcelain and zirconia, chosen to suit the case. The planned shape, position and colour of porcelain veneers decide how much preparation a tooth needs.
Clear aligners
Clear aligners are removable trays that move teeth gradually, worn for 22 hours a day. They are offered to adults for mild to moderate crowding and spacing, with more complex cases assessed case by case, as some need braces or a combined approach. Straightening teeth with removable aligners starts with a digital scan and a 3D plan.
Gum contouring and tooth recontouring
Gum contouring reshapes an uneven gum line, or gum that covers too much of the teeth, and at the practice it is done with a scalpel. Whether gum contouring suits you is assessed case by case. Tooth recontouring removes a small amount of enamel to smooth or level the edges of teeth without adding material. Tooth recontouring cannot be undone, and reshaping the gum line is a surgical change that is not designed to be reversed.
Smile makeovers
A smile makeover combines several treatments in a planned order, for example aligners first, then whitening, then bonding. How long it takes depends on the case. Smile makeover planning includes a written plan before anything starts.
Which cosmetic treatments are reversible?
Whitening, bonding and aligner treatment remove little or no natural tooth, while conventional veneers and recontouring remove enamel that cannot grow back.
| Treatment | What happens to the tooth | Can it be undone? | Lifespan and aftercare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teeth whitening | Colour lightened; no tooth structure removed | Nothing is removed | Fades over time |
| Composite bonding | Resin added to the tooth surface | Usually, as composite can be adjusted, repaired or removed | Around five years, varying from person to person; 12-month aftercare cover for repairs |
| Composite veneers | Resin covers the whole front surface | Usually, where built directly, as composite can be adjusted, repaired or removed | |
| Clear aligners | Teeth moved; small enamel reshaping only where needed | Teeth can drift back without retainers; any enamel reshaped does not grow back | Retainers worn long term |
| Porcelain veneers | Ceramic facing bonded on; enamel removed unless a no-preparation design suits | Not where enamel has been removed | 12-month aftercare cover for repair, replacement or remake, and adjustments |
| Tooth recontouring | Small amount of enamel removed to reshape edges | No, enamel does not grow back | No added material to maintain |
| Gum contouring | Gum tissue reshaped with a scalpel | Not designed to be undone; it is a surgical change to the gum line |
Reversibility sits alongside lifespan, cost, the number of teeth and the change you want, and working out which option suits you brings them together.
How we plan a smile
Our planning process for cosmetic treatment at Deepcar Dental Care follows these steps:
- Clinical photographs and an intraoral scan of your teeth
- A digital smile design, drawn up in exocad software
- A laboratory wax-up of the proposed shape
- A trial smile placed in your mouth, so you can see and judge the design
- Shade taking under corrected lighting, with digital shade matching
- A written plan before anything starts
- A second consultation before you commit
Where a shade needs closer matching, you may be invited to the laboratory for shade taking. No laboratory work is sent overseas.
Book a cosmetic consultation online or call 0114 288 2121. The consultation lasts 45 to 60 minutes.
Who is cosmetic dentistry suitable for?
Suitability depends on the treatment and on the health of your teeth and gums. Decay and gum disease are treated before bonding, and whitening is not suitable while either is active.
Treatment order matters in cosmetic dentistry. Crowding can be addressed with aligners first, and bonding is ideally done once aligner treatment has finished. Whitening before bonding is optional rather than required.
Whitening is not suitable for everyone. The limits include being under 18, pregnancy or breastfeeding, heavy tetracycline staining and having many front crowns or veneers. Clear aligner treatment at the practice is for adults only.
What does the evidence say about cosmetic treatment?
Evidence on veneers and composite favours approaches that keep natural enamel, though much of it comes from reviews of small studies rather than large trials.
Reviews of porcelain veneers, including one in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dentistry (2014), link bonding to enamel, rather than the deeper dentine, with better results, and find that deep discolouration or teeth out of line can rule out no-preparation veneers. For composite, a long-term study from Yonsei University found that most problems arising over time, such as edge staining or wear, could be repaired rather than redone.
The principles of proportion, symmetry and the smile line that shape a design are explained in what makes a smile look natural.
How much does cosmetic dentistry cost?
Cosmetic dentistry costs depend on the treatment, the number of teeth and the material. Prices on the practice fee list are:
- Composite bonding: from £300 per tooth
- All-ceramic veneers: from £750 to £1,000
- Teeth whitening: £350 to £550
- Clear aligners: from £1,495 per arch
A smile makeover combines several treatments, so what it costs depends on which treatments the plan includes. Options for spreading the cost of treatment are on our finance page.
Book a cosmetic consultation online at book online or call 0114 288 2121.
Where is cosmetic treatment carried out?
Cosmetic consultations and chairside treatment take place at Deepcar Dental Care, 334 Manchester Road, Deepcar, Sheffield, S36 2RH, with free parking directly outside.
The practice is on the ground floor, wheelchair accessible, and open from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday. By car the practice is around 5 minutes from Stocksbridge, 15 minutes from Sheffield city centre and 25 minutes from Barnsley and Rotherham, and travel and access are covered on our local cosmetic dentistry page.
Who carries out cosmetic treatment?
Cosmetic dentistry and composite bonding are carried out by our cosmetic dentists, and whitening and aligner treatment by our dentists. Patients describe their experience of the practice in their own words on our patient reviews page.
Frequently asked questions
Is cosmetic dentistry available on the NHS?
Generally, no. NHS guidance is that veneers are provided only where there is a clinical need, and teeth whitening is not available on the NHS. Treatment chosen mainly to change how teeth look, rather than to treat a clinical problem, is paid for privately.
Does cosmetic treatment hurt?
Where cosmetic treatment needs an injection, topical numbing gel is applied first at the practice, and composite bonding usually needs no injection at all. Whitening can make teeth sensitive to cold or sweet food and drink while you use it. A new aligner can cause mild pressure or soreness for the first few days.
Will whitening change the colour of my veneers or fillings?
No. Whitening gel lightens natural teeth only, so existing veneers and fillings keep their colour. If you want whitening as well as bonding, the whitening is done first, so the composite can be matched to your teeth after whitening. Old, discoloured fillings can be replaced with tooth-coloured ones as part of a cosmetic plan.
Can I have just one tooth treated?
Yes. Cosmetic treatment can be limited to one tooth when that is all that needs changing, for example edge bonding on a single chipped tooth, or whitening a single dark, root-treated tooth from the inside. Matching one tooth to its neighbours takes careful shade work under corrected lighting.
What affects how long cosmetic work lasts?
Lifespan depends on the individual patient, their oral hygiene and their habits. Composite bonding typically lasts around five years, varying from person to person. Aftercare cover is separate from lifespan: porcelain veneers carry 12-month aftercare cover, and bonding carries 12-month aftercare cover for repairs, in both cases except where damage comes from accidental trauma or infection.
Is a smile makeover the same as getting veneers?
Not necessarily. A smile makeover is any planned combination of treatments, and it may or may not include veneers. Some plans change colour and shape without veneers at all. The right combination depends on what you want to change and on how much natural tooth the plan can keep.
Book a consultation.
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We look after patients from Deepcar, Stocksbridge and Oughtibridge, and from across north Sheffield, including Wadsley, Hillsborough and Fulwood. Many travel further, from Penistone, Barnsley and Rotherham. The practice is on the A6102 at 334 Manchester Road, and no referral is needed.
334 Manchester Road
Deepcar, Sheffield S36 2RH
0114 288 2121
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Open 8am to 8pm, seven days
Free parking at the door