The Complete Guide to Cosmetic Dentistry: Options, Planning, Longevity and Cost
Cosmetic dentistry changes the colour, shape, position or gum line of teeth. This guide is for anyone planning cosmetic treatment who wants to know what to do first. It explains why health comes first, then position, shade and shape, and covers each option, planning and mock-ups, longevity, aftercare cover, risks, cost and choosing a clinician. Getting the order right can save natural tooth.
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Clinically reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, dentist · GDC 301711
Medical disclaimer: This page is for general information only. It does not replace an examination or treatment by a dentist.
This page is reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, the practice's principal dentist. He is 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 is cosmetic dentistry, and how does it work?
Cosmetic dentistry is dental treatment chosen mainly to change how teeth and gums look, rather than to treat disease. It works on four features of a smile: the position of the teeth, their colour, their shape and size, and the line of the gum around them. Aligners move teeth, whitening changes their colour, composite bonding, veneers, crowns and recontouring change their shape, and gum contouring changes the gum line.
Cosmetic treatment works in one of four ways. It adds material to a tooth, as composite bonding does; it covers the visible surface, as veneers and crowns do; it removes a little tissue to reshape, as tooth recontouring and gum contouring do; or it changes colour or position, as whitening and aligners do. Which of these a treatment uses decides how much natural tooth it keeps and whether it can be undone. The order in which treatments are done decides how well they work together.
Several treatments combined in one plan make a smile makeover. Because cosmetic treatment is elective, whether to have it, and how much, is your choice, made once you understand what each option involves. This guide sits under our main page on cosmetic dentistry at Deepcar Dental Care, which introduces the discipline and the treatments offered.
Why do people seek cosmetic treatment?
People usually seek cosmetic treatment because something about their teeth bothers them: colour, a chip, a gap, crowding, worn edges or the gum line. The most common concerns are:
- Stained, yellowed or darkened teeth, including a single tooth that has darkened
- Chipped, uneven or worn front teeth
- Gaps between teeth, or dark triangles where the gum no longer fills the space between teeth
- Crowded or crooked front teeth
- A gum line that is uneven, or that shows a lot of gum when you smile
- Old fillings that have discoloured, or crowns that no longer match the teeth beside them
A review of studies on how people see their own smile links that self-perception with how much they feel they need treatment. That is why good cosmetic planning starts from what you want to change and why, rather than from a list of treatments. Two people with the same gap may want different things: one wants it closed, another only wants the edges evened.
Which cosmetic treatment you need depends on the change you want, the health of your teeth and gums, and how much natural tooth you want to keep. It helps to separate what bothers you from what you think the fix is. A dark front tooth might need whitening, whitening from the inside if it has had root canal treatment, a veneer or a crown, depending on why it is dark.
Describing the concern rather than naming a treatment leaves room for the option that keeps the most natural tooth. If you know what bothers you but not what fixes it, you can browse the smile concerns section, where each page starts from a problem rather than a treatment.
Why does dental health come before aesthetics?
Dental health comes first because cosmetic treatment changes how teeth look but does not treat decay or gum disease. Gum disease left untreated can lead to the gums shrinking back from the teeth, which changes the very gum line that cosmetic work is designed around.
The signs to act on before any cosmetic plan are ordinary ones. Gums that bleed when you brush, floss or eat hard food are a common sign of gum disease, and NHS advice is to see a dentist when that happens. Decay, cracked or broken-down teeth and failing old fillings are found at a dental examination. How gum disease starts and progresses is explained under how gum disease develops.
At Deepcar Dental Care, gum disease and decay are treated before composite bonding, and teeth whitening is not suitable while either is active. Composite bonding includes a hygiene visit before treatment, and a hygiene visit is recommended before whitening.
Teeth that are broken down, heavily filled or worn may need repairing and rebuilding damaged teeth first. That is restorative rather than cosmetic work, and the two can be planned together.
What is the correct order for cosmetic treatment?
The usual order is to stabilise, then align, then whiten, then shape: health first, then position, then colour, then the shape of individual teeth. This sequence is the backbone of the cosmetic dentistry process, because each step changes something the next one depends on. Moving teeth changes how much shaping they need. Whitening changes the colour that composite and ceramic have to match, and those materials do not lighten afterwards. Shaping last means the final work is built for teeth that are healthy, in their final position and at their final shade.
Not every plan needs every step. Someone happy with the position and colour of their teeth may only need a chipped edge bonded, and someone who only wants lighter teeth may need nothing beyond whitening once their teeth and gums are healthy. The order matters when steps are combined, and it is a planning principle rather than a fixed rule: a dentist may change it for a particular case.
Step 1: Stabilise the teeth, gums and bite
Stabilising means treating decay and gum disease, repairing broken teeth and checking the bite, or occlusion, before anything cosmetic is done. The bite matters because grinding, or heavy biting forces on the front teeth, can chip or loosen porcelain veneers. A review of veneer treatment advises assessing how the teeth meet and managing biting forces before treatment, and a guard for people who grind to help prevent the ceramic fracturing afterwards.
A study of porcelain veneers that had been in place for 3 to 11 years found they came loose significantly more often in people who grind, and among people who grind, fractures were more common in those who did not wear the splint they had been advised.
At Deepcar Dental Care, night guards are provided for patients who grind and are charged separately, and a night guard is required for patients who grind and have composite bonding. Jaw joint (TMJ) assessment is also available. A guard for protecting your teeth at night is one way to protect cosmetic work as well as natural teeth.
Step 2: Align the teeth
Aligning comes before shaping because the position of a tooth affects how much has to be added or removed to make it look even. A review of veneer preparation names the planned final position, colour and shape of the veneer as the main factors in how much enamel is removed, and notes that small teeth, or teeth that sit slightly behind the line of their neighbours, can suit no-preparation or minimal-preparation designs. Where a tooth starts therefore matters, which is why position is usually settled before the final shape is planned.
At Deepcar Dental Care, crowding can be addressed with clear aligners first, and composite bonding is ideally done once aligner treatment has finished. Fixed metal, ceramic and lingual braces are also offered to adults, and the wider range of orthodontic treatment is covered in its own section.
Step 3: Whiten the teeth
Whitening comes before tooth-coloured fillings, bonding, veneers and crowns because it lightens natural teeth only, and existing dental work keeps its colour. A systematic review of whitening and composite colour notes that bleaching can leave existing composite looking mismatched, because the composite does not lighten with the teeth. For that reason, when whitening and tooth-coloured work are both planned, whitening is usually done first, so new composite or ceramic can be matched to the lighter shade.
At Deepcar Dental Care, whitening before bonding is offered as an option rather than a requirement. The aligner treatment package includes whitening at the end, and there are align-and-whiten and align-whiten-and-bond packages. How whitening fits a wider plan is covered under getting the order of treatment right.
Step 4: Shape the teeth and gums
Shaping comes last: composite bonding, veneers, crowns, recontouring and gum contouring change the outline of teeth or gums once position and colour are settled. Within shaping, evidence favours keeping enamel where possible. Bonding adds composite and can usually be adjusted, repaired or removed. No-preparation and minimal-preparation veneers keep more enamel than conventional veneers, and a crown covers the whole tooth and needs the most reshaping. Enamel that is removed does not grow back, so the option that removes least is usually worth considering first.
What are the main cosmetic treatment options?
The main cosmetic options are whitening, composite bonding, composite and porcelain veneers, ceramic crowns, clear aligners, recontouring, gum contouring and smile makeovers. Each is summarised here at a glance. At Deepcar Dental Care, cosmetic treatment includes each of these, along with gap closure, black triangle closure, replacing old discoloured fillings and full mouth cosmetic rehabilitation. For fuller detail on each one, you can browse the cosmetic treatments section.
| Treatment | What it changes | Natural tooth removed | Can it be undone? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teeth whitening | Colour of natural teeth | None | Nothing is removed; the effect fades over time |
| Composite bonding | Shape, chips and gaps | Usually none | Usually, as composite can be adjusted, repaired or removed |
| Composite veneers | Shape and colour of the whole front surface | Depends on the design | Usually, where built directly, as composite can be adjusted or removed |
| Porcelain veneers | Colour, shape and size | Some enamel, unless a no-preparation design suits | Not where enamel has been removed |
| Ceramic crowns | The whole visible tooth | The most of any option here | No |
| Clear aligners | Position | None, apart from any enamel smoothed between teeth to make space | Teeth can drift back without retainers; smoothed enamel does not grow back |
| Tooth recontouring | The edges of teeth | A small amount of enamel | No, enamel does not grow back |
| Gum contouring | The gum line | Gum tissue, not tooth | Not designed to be undone |
Teeth whitening
Teeth whitening lightens the colour of natural teeth with a peroxide gel and removes no tooth structure. At Deepcar Dental Care, professionally whitening your teeth is a take-home course in trays using the Enlighten or Boutique systems, with no whitening light. A dark tooth that has had root canal treatment can be whitened from the inside instead, which is called internal whitening.
Composite bonding
Composite bonding means reshaping teeth with composite: tooth-coloured resin is added to a tooth to repair a chip, close a gap or change its shape. It usually needs no drilling and no injection. Composite is also used for gap closure and for black triangle closure, where the sides of neighbouring teeth are built out to fill the dark space. Black triangles have several causes, including tooth shape and the level of the bone between teeth. Research describes rebuilding lost gum between teeth as one of the least predictable gum procedures, and closure with composite works on the shape of the teeth instead.
Composite veneers
Composite veneers cover the whole front surface of a tooth in composite, rather than adding to one edge. They can be built directly on the tooth or made in a laboratory. In a randomised trial in patients having gaps closed, composite veneers showed more staining at their edges and more surface roughness than ceramic veneers over two years, which the authors suggest may mean more upkeep over time.
Porcelain veneers
Porcelain veneers are thin ceramic facings bonded to the front of teeth to change their colour, shape or size. Conventional veneers need some enamel removed, while minimal-preparation and no-preparation designs are offered where suitable. Treatment takes 2 to 6 visits, depending on complexity and the number of veneers.
Ceramic crowns
A ceramic crown is a cap that covers the whole visible tooth, used for damaged teeth and sometimes for cosmetic reasons. The tooth is reshaped first to fit it, so a crown needs more of the tooth removed than a veneer or bonding. Enamel that is removed does not grow back, which is worth weighing for a healthy tooth that only needs a change of colour or shape. How crowns for damaged teeth are used is covered with restorative treatment.
Clear aligners
Clear aligners are removable trays that move teeth gradually. At Deepcar Dental Care, straightening teeth with removable aligners is offered to adults for mild to moderate crowding and spacing, and more complex cases are assessed case by case, as some need braces or a combined approach. Aligners change position, not the shape or colour of teeth.
Tooth recontouring
Tooth recontouring removes a small amount of enamel to smooth or level the edges of teeth, without adding material. It suits small irregularities and cannot be undone, because enamel does not grow back.
Gum contouring
Gum contouring reshapes an uneven gum line, or gum that covers too much of the teeth, and at Deepcar Dental Care it is done with a scalpel. Whether it suits you is assessed case by case. Reshaping the gum line is a surgical change to the gum that is not designed to be reversed.
Smile makeovers and full mouth rehabilitation
A smile makeover combines several cosmetic treatments in a planned order, for example aligners first, then whitening, then bonding. How long it takes depends on the case. Full mouth cosmetic rehabilitation, which rebuilds the appearance of most or all of the teeth, is also offered. Side-by-side choices, such as porcelain against composite veneers, are weighed up in the cosmetic comparisons section. If you are still deciding between options for your own teeth, working out which option suits you starts from the change you want.
Book a cosmetic consultation online or call 0114 288 2121. The consultation lasts 45 to 60 minutes.
How is a cosmetic treatment planned?
Aesthetic treatment planning means recording your teeth, designing the change, and showing you the design before any tooth is altered. A diagnostic wax-up models the proposed shapes on a model of your teeth. A mock-up, sometimes called a trial smile, copies that design into your mouth in temporary material, so you can see and judge it in your own face before you commit.
Planning literature describes the mock-up as a way for you to see the proposed result, and for the dentist to confirm what you are looking for, before treatment starts. The aim of a cosmetic design is a result that looks like natural teeth rather than dental work.
At Deepcar Dental Care, the smile design process includes 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
A cosmetic consultation lasts 45 to 60 minutes. Where a shade needs closer matching, you may be invited to the laboratory for shade taking. No laboratory work is sent overseas. The science behind dental shade matching is explained on its own page, and design principles such as proportion and symmetry are covered under the principles of smile aesthetics.
Before agreeing to any plan, check that you understand three things: what will happen to each tooth, whether any of it can be undone, and what upkeep the finished work will need.
How long does cosmetic work last, and how is it maintained?
How long cosmetic work lasts depends on the treatment, your oral hygiene and your habits, and it varies from person to person. Composite bonding typically lasts around five years. Crowns typically last 5 to 20 years and white fillings 5 to 10 years. In each case the figure depends on the individual patient, their oral hygiene and their habits.
| Treatment | What affects how long it lasts | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|
| Teeth whitening | The effect fades over time | Top-up treatment |
| Composite bonding | Surface staining and wear of the composite | Edge staining or wear can often be repaired rather than redone |
| Composite veneers | In one trial, composite showed more edge staining and surface roughness than ceramic over two years | Possibly more upkeep than ceramic over time; the composite can be repaired |
| Porcelain veneers | Grinding, which is linked with veneers coming loose | A night guard if you grind |
| Clear aligners | Teeth can move at any age | Retainers worn long term |
| Tooth recontouring | Enamel removed does not grow back | Nothing added to maintain |
Cosmetic work is looked after the same way as natural teeth: brushing, cleaning between teeth, and regular check-ups and hygiene appointments. At Deepcar Dental Care, the standard check-up interval for a healthy adult is 6 months, and hygiene appointments for healthy gums are every 6 months too. After straightening, keeping your teeth in their new position depends on retainers worn long term, because teeth can move throughout life.
What does aftercare cover include?
At Deepcar Dental Care, 12 months of aftercare cover applies to fillings, crowns and bridges, dentures and porcelain veneers, and gives free repair, free replacement or remake and free adjustments. Composite bonding carries 12 months of aftercare cover for repairs. Cover is separate from how long the work lasts. Cover does not apply where damage results from accidental trauma or infection, and for dentures gum recession is also excluded.
What are the risks and limits of cosmetic treatment?
The main risks are sensitivity, irreversible loss of enamel, work that chips or stains, and a result that differs from what you expected. In more detail:
- Whitening can make teeth sensitive to cold or sweet food and drink, and can cause sore gums or white patches on the gums.
- Veneers, crowns and recontouring remove enamel, and enamel does not grow back.
- Grinding is linked with porcelain veneers coming loose, and a guard is advised to help prevent them fracturing.
- In one two-year trial, composite veneers showed more edge staining and surface roughness than ceramic veneers.
- Straightened teeth can drift back if retainers are not worn.
Whitening is not suitable for everyone. At Deepcar Dental Care it is for adults, and the limits include pregnancy or breastfeeding, active decay or gum disease, and having many front crowns or veneers.
Cosmetic treatment cannot fix a problem it is not designed for. Whitening does not change the colour of fillings, crowns or veneers, bonding does not treat gum disease, and no cosmetic treatment replaces daily cleaning. Results vary between people, and nobody can promise exactly how a finished smile will look.
How much does cosmetic dentistry cost?
Cosmetic dentistry costs depend on the treatment, the number of teeth, the material and how many steps the plan combines. The practice fee list includes:
- Composite bonding: from £300 per tooth
- All-ceramic crowns and veneers: from £750 to £1,000
- Teeth whitening: £350 to £550
- Clear aligners: from £1,495 per arch
- White composite fillings: from £150 to £220
Fee-list prices are starting prices, based on individual clinical needs. The cost page explains treatment costs for cosmetic work in more detail, including what changes them. Options for spreading the cost of treatment are on our finance page.
The lowest price is not always the lowest cost over time. A treatment that keeps more natural tooth leaves more options open later, while one that removes enamel usually means maintaining and, in time, replacing that work.
Book a cosmetic consultation online at book online or call 0114 288 2121.
How do you choose a cosmetic dentist?
Choose a GDC-registered dentist who explains your options, shows you the design before treatment and gives you the plan and cost in writing. Useful questions to ask include:
- Are you on the GDC register? Every dentist practising in the UK must be, and the register can be searched online by name, town or GDC number.
- What are my options, and which keeps the most natural tooth?
- Can I see the design in my mouth before any tooth is changed?
- What order will the treatments be done in, and why?
- What will it cost, and can I have the plan in writing?
- What aftercare cover applies, in what circumstances and for how long?
- Who will carry out each part of the treatment?
- What upkeep will the work need, and what happens if it chips?
The General Dental Council's standards require dental professionals to give patients a written treatment plan before treatment starts, with the proposed treatment, a realistic indication of cost and whether it is NHS or private. They also say patients should be told whether treatment carries cover, in what circumstances and for how long. For whitening, NHS advice is that whitening products should only be used or sold by dental professionals.
A consultation that covers the options which keep the most natural tooth, including leaving teeth as they are, is a good sign. A fuller checklist is set out in how to choose a cosmetic dentist. Patients describe their experience of the practice in their own words on our patient reviews page.
Who carries out cosmetic treatment at Deepcar Dental Care?
Cosmetic dentistry and composite bonding at Deepcar Dental Care are carried out by our cosmetic dentists. Teeth whitening and clear aligner treatment are provided by our dentists, and hygiene appointments by our dental therapist.
Frequently asked questions
Is cosmetic dentistry available on the NHS?
Generally, no. NHS guidance is that teeth whitening is not available on the NHS, and veneers are generally only available privately unless there is a clinical need. Treatment chosen mainly to change how teeth look, rather than to treat a clinical problem, is usually paid for privately.
Do I have to register as a patient to have a hygiene appointment first?
No. A hygiene appointment with our dental therapist can be booked online through the booking portal without registering as a patient, and appointments last 30 to 60 minutes. Because gum health comes before cosmetic work, that can be a practical first step for your gums. How hygiene appointments work is explained on our hygiene pages.
How long does a cosmetic treatment plan take?
It depends on which steps the plan includes. A single treatment, such as bonding one chipped edge, can be done in one visit. Plans that include straightening take longer: small front-tooth corrections with aligners can take a matter of months, fuller treatment often 12 months or more, and an aligner plan shows the planned length before you commit.
I am nervous about the dentist. What should I know before planning cosmetic treatment?
Cosmetic treatment is elective, so you can take time over whether to have it, and when. It helps to say that you are nervous when you book. The practice's approach to care for anxious patients, including a first visit that is only a conversation and a stop signal agreed before treatment starts, is explained on its own page.
Can I have just one tooth treated?
Yes. Cosmetic treatment can be limited to a single tooth when that is all that needs changing, for example edge bonding on one chipped tooth, or a veneer or crown on one discoloured tooth. Matching a single tooth to its neighbours takes careful shade matching, because one tooth in a different shade stands out.
Should I replace old silver fillings for cosmetic reasons?
Only if you and your dentist think it worthwhile. Scottish and Northern Ireland guidance find no evidence that existing amalgam fillings harm health. Scottish guidance sees no need to replace them unless they are broken or there is further decay; Northern Ireland's names urgent treatment or your dentist's advice. Replacing a sound filling is still treatment, ideally after any whitening.
Is composite bonding or porcelain veneers the better choice?
Neither suits everyone. The choice usually turns on four questions: what change you want, how your teeth meet and whether you grind, how much natural tooth you want to keep, and how much upkeep you are prepared for. Bonding adds composite and can usually be adjusted or repaired, while conventional porcelain veneers need some enamel removed.
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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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