Porcelain
Veneers
in Beverly Hills

Veneers vs. the Alternatives

Veneers are one of several ways to change how a tooth looks, and they are not always the right one. The comparison below is how Bedford's doctors weigh the options during a consultation.

Veneers or crowns?

A veneer covers the front of the tooth; a crown covers all of it. The choice is decided by how much sound tooth structure remains, not by appearance. Bedford's doctors recommend a crown when a tooth is cracked, heavily filled, or has had a root canal, because those teeth need the structural reinforcement that full coverage provides. Where the tooth is intact and the concern is how it looks, a veneer achieves the same aesthetic result while conserving considerably more natural tooth. A single treatment plan often includes both — a crown on a compromised tooth, veneers on its neighbors, matched in the same porcelain so the restorations are indistinguishable from one another. Compare crowns and veneers for front teeth.

Veneers or composite bonding?

Composite bonding is tooth-colored resin shaped directly onto the tooth in one visit, with little or no enamel removed. It costs less than porcelain and is reversible, which makes it a reasonable choice for a single small chip or for a patient who wants to see a change before committing to it. The trade-off is durability and color stability: composite is porous, so it stains over time and typically needs replacing about every five years, where porcelain holds its shade for the life of the restoration. Bedford's doctors generally suggest bonding for one or two teeth and porcelain where several adjacent teeth are being redesigned together.

Would whitening achieve this instead?

If the only concern is color and the teeth are well shaped and well aligned, professional whitening is the more conservative treatment and Bedford's doctors will say so — it removes no enamel and costs a fraction of veneers. Whitening works on surface and near-surface staining from coffee, tea, wine, and tobacco. It does not lift tetracycline banding, fluorosis, or the graying that follows a root canal, because that discoloration sits within the tooth. Whitening also changes nothing about shape, length, or spacing. Where the answer is color alone, start there; where shape is also in question, whitening will not resolve it.

Should I straighten my teeth first?

Sometimes, and this is one of the more consequential decisions in a veneer case. Veneers can mask mild crowding or rotation by reshaping the visible surface. Where teeth are significantly out of position, masking them requires removing more enamel from the teeth that sit forward — occasionally enough to compromise them. Orthodontics moves the teeth into position first, so the veneers that follow can be thinner and more conservative, and in some cases the patient decides against veneers altogether once the teeth are straight. Bedford's doctors assess this at the consultation and will recommend orthodontics first where it produces the better long-term result, even though it lengthens treatment.

Are You a Candidate for Porcelain Veneers?

Most adults in good oral health are candidates. The assessment is less about whether veneers are possible and more about whether the foundation underneath them is sound — which is why Bedford's consultation includes an examination of the gums, the bite, and the structural condition of each tooth before any cosmetic discussion.

Who is a good candidate

You are likely a candidate for porcelain veneers at Bedford Dental Group if your teeth and gums are healthy, your bite is stable, and your concern is the shape, color, or proportion of several visible teeth. Adults whose jaw growth is complete are suitable; teenagers generally are not. Good candidates also tend to be people who understand that veneers are a long-term commitment rather than a one-off cosmetic procedure — enamel is removed permanently, and the restorations will need replacing once or twice over a lifetime. If you are willing to wear a night guard where one is indicated and keep regular cleanings, the treatment tends to do well.

Who is not a good candidate

Veneers are not the right treatment for everyone, and Bedford's doctors will say so at the consultation rather than after. A single small chip is usually better addressed with composite bonding. Significantly crowded or rotated teeth are better corrected with orthodontics first. Teeth that are extensively broken down or root-treated generally need crowns rather than veneers. Active gum disease and untreated decay have to be resolved before any cosmetic work begins. Severe untreated grinding is a contraindication in its own right, though it is often a manageable one — see below. None of these rules a patient out permanently; most are a question of sequence.

Can I get veneers with gum disease or recession?

Active gum disease must be treated before veneers are placed. Veneers are bonded at the gum line, and inflamed or receding tissue moves, which leaves a visible margin and shortens the life of the restoration. Bedford treats periodontal disease in-house rather than referring it out, so the assessment, the treatment, and the veneer work happen under one roof and one treatment plan. Where recession has already exposed root surface, that is addressed first — sometimes with a gum graft — so that the final margin sits on stable tissue. Where periodontal disease has been treated, Bedford allows roughly four to six weeks after that treatment before starting veneer work, so the tissue has settled into its final position before the margins are placed.

Can veneers be combined with implants, crowns or bridges?

Yes, and combined cases are common in a practice with four specialties on site. A smile is rarely made up of teeth in uniform condition: one may be missing, another root-treated, several sound. Bedford plans these cases as a single restoration rather than a series of separate procedures, so the implant crown, the conventional crown and the porcelain veneers are designed and shaded together. This matters because an implant crown and a veneer handle light differently, and matching them after the fact is considerably harder than planning them together. Cases of this kind are where a prosthodontist matters most — restoring and replacing teeth in combination is the specialty itself, rather than an adjacent skill. The surgical and restorative work is coordinated between the doctors involved, and each is named in the treatment plan.

My bite is off — does that need correcting first?

Usually, yes. Porcelain is strong in compression and vulnerable to shear, so a veneer placed on a tooth taking abnormal lateral force is likely to fail early regardless of how well it was made. An uneven bite also tends to be the reason front teeth have worn short in the first place, which means treating the appearance without treating the cause rebuilds the same problem in ceramic. Bedford assesses the bite as part of the veneer consultation and corrects significant discrepancies before restorative work begins. The bite is checked with digital occlusal analysis and confirmed with articulating paper, and a facebow is used where the case calls for it.

Can I get veneers if I grind my teeth?

In most cases, yes, provided the grinding is managed. Bruxism is the most common cause of premature veneer failure, and it usually happens during sleep, so many patients do not know they do it — worn incisal edges, morning jaw soreness, and a history of chipped restorations are the signs Bedford's doctors look for. Where grinding is identified, treatment includes a custom night guard, and the material choice may change to something more fracture-resistant. Severe untreated grinding is a genuine contraindication, but it is usually treatable rather than disqualifying. A custom occlusal guard is included in the fee for every full-mouth veneer case at Bedford.

The Porcelain Veneer Process at Bedford

Porcelain veneers at Bedford Dental Group are placed over three visits, and most cases run about two weeks from preparation to final bonding.

Visit 1 — consultation and smile design

The first visit establishes whether veneers are the right treatment and what the result will look like. Dr. Naysan examines the teeth, gums, and bite, takes photographs and a digital scan, and reviews any existing restorations that will need to be matched or replaced. The design discussion follows from that examination rather than from a catalogue: tooth proportion, the position of the gum line, how much tooth shows at rest and in a full smile, and how the edges of the upper front teeth follow the lower lip. Where the foundation needs attention first — periodontal treatment, a bite correction, orthodontics — that is raised at this visit, before any commitment is made.

Visit 2 — preparation and temporaries

At the second visit the teeth are prepared and temporary veneers are fitted. Preparation means removing 0.3 to 0.5 mm of enamel from the front surface so the porcelain sits flush rather than bulky, done under local anesthetic. A final impression or scan goes to the laboratory, and temporaries are made from the approved design and worn while the porcelain is fabricated. The temporaries are not a placeholder — they are how you test the result. You wear them through normal eating, speaking, and smiling, and anything that feels long, bulky, or unnatural is adjusted before those changes are transferred to the final porcelain.

Visit 3 — try-in and bonding

At the third visit the finished veneers are tried in before anything is bonded. They are held in place with water or try-in paste so you can see them in daylight and in the mirror, and shade and shape can still be adjusted or the case returned to the laboratory at this stage. Once approved, the tooth surface is cleaned and etched, the veneers are bonded individually, and the cement is light-cured. The bite is checked and refined and the margins are polished. You are seen again at one week and at six months to review the tissue response and how the veneers are functioning in normal use; both visits are included in the fee.

Does getting veneers hurt?

Tooth preparation is done under local anesthetic, so the second visit is not painful while it is happening. Afterwards, most patients report the treated teeth feel sensitive to hot and cold for a short period while the temporaries are in place and for a few days after bonding — this settles as the teeth adjust. Patients who have had a filling generally find veneer preparation comparable. Where dental anxiety is a factor, Bedford offers nitrous oxide, conscious sedation, and general anesthesia in addition to local anesthetic. Tell the doctor before treatment rather than during it, so the approach can be planned rather than improvised.

Which of our doctors will do my veneers?

Bedford Dental Group has seven doctors, and four of them place porcelain veneers: Dr. Daniel Naysan and Dr. Kellen Mori, the practice's lead cosmetic dentists; Dr. Ashraf Ghoneim, a prosthodontist; and Dr. Mehdi Nayssan, a general dentist.

Prosthodontics is the dental specialty concerned with restoring and replacing teeth, and it requires three years of accredited residency beyond dental school. Where a case involves a full arch, an existing crown or implant that has to be matched, or a bite that needs rebuilding as well as a smile that needs redesigning, that is the training it draws on.

Three further specialists handle the work a veneer case sometimes depends on, without sending you elsewhere for it. Dr. Shervin Molayem, periodontist, treats gum disease and performs grafting, gum surgery, lip repositioning and gummy-smile correction. Dr. Apel Keuroghlian, oral surgeon, handles extractions, bone grafts and implant placement. Dr. Arya Tehrany, endodontist, performs root canal treatment.

You are told at the consultation which doctors will be involved in your case and why. A case that needs gum work before the margins are placed, or a root canal on a discolored front tooth before it is veneered, is planned and carried out by the same team rather than split across two practices.

Types of Porcelain and Shade Selection

Not all porcelain behaves the same way. The material is chosen per case, and the choice is a clinical decision about how the tooth is loaded and how much of the underlying tooth needs to be masked — not a question of grade or quality.

e.max is Ivoclar's brand name for lithium disilicate — the same material, not a separate category.

Bedford's ceramists at Beverly Hills Dental Lab work in the Vita 3D-Master system and also match shades custom to the patient, which is how most full cases are handled.

How the shade is actually chosen

Shade is selected against your complexion, the whites of your eyes, and the teeth that are not being treated — not by picking a number off a chart. A shade that looks right under surgery lighting can look wrong in daylight, which is why the try-in at Visit 3 happens before anything is bonded, and why patients select the final shade with the ceramist rather than from a chart in the surgery. Where only the upper teeth are being treated, the lower teeth set the ceiling on how bright the result can go without the difference becoming obvious.

How Long Veneers Last and How to Care for Them

Porcelain veneers last 10 to 20 years with routine care. The porcelain itself does not stain and does not decay — what determines how long a veneer lasts is the health of the tooth underneath it, the gum tissue at its margin, and how much force the bite puts through it.

The most common reasons a veneer needs replacing early are untreated grinding, gum recession exposing the margin, and decay developing in the tooth behind the restoration. All three are manageable, and all three are what the recall appointments are for. Bedford sees veneer patients at one week and six months after treatment, then every three to six months depending on periodontal health.

On whitening after veneers

Porcelain does not respond to whitening agents. If you plan to whiten your natural teeth at any point, do it before the veneers are made, so the porcelain is shaded to match the lighter result. Whitening afterwards lightens only the untreated teeth and creates a mismatch.

Risks and What Can Go Wrong

Veneers are a well-established treatment, and they involve real trade-offs. Bedford's doctors go through these at the consultation rather than in the consent form. Read the full pros and cons of porcelain veneers.

Risks and downsides

It is permanent. Enamel removed for a standard veneer does not grow back. A prepared tooth needs a veneer or a crown from then on.

Sensitivity. Most patients experience sensitivity to hot and cold after preparation and for a period after bonding. It typically settles within a few days. A small number of patients find it persists and needs treating.

They will need replacing. Ten to twenty years is the expected lifespan, not a maximum. Most patients having veneers in their thirties should expect to replace them at least once.

Porcelain can fracture. Trauma, heavy bite forces, and untreated grinding can chip or fracture a veneer. A fractured veneer is generally replaced rather than repaired.

They do not whiten. The shade you approve is the shade you keep. Natural teeth adjacent to veneers continue to darken with age, and that difference becomes visible over time.

Gum recession changes the margin. If the gum recedes, the junction between porcelain and tooth becomes visible at the gum line.

What if I don't like the result?

The design is approved at three points before anything becomes permanent: the digital design at the consultation, the temporaries you wear between visits, and the try-in at the third visit, when the finished veneers are held in place unbonded and can still be returned to the laboratory. The temporary stage is the one that matters most, because it is the only one where you see the proposed result in your own mouth, in daylight, over several days. You also choose the final shade with the ceramist rather than being handed a result to accept, and revisions requested at that stage are made before the porcelain is fabricated. Changes requested after bonding are considerably harder, which is why Bedford front-loads the approval rather than relying on a remake.

Can veneers done elsewhere be corrected?

Yes, and Bedford treats a number of these cases. Veneers placed elsewhere are commonly replaced because of a visible margin at the gum line, a shade that no longer matches the surrounding teeth, bulky or over-contoured porcelain, recurrent decay under the restoration, or repeated fracture where the underlying bite problem was never addressed. Replacement cases are assessed differently from new ones: the first question is why the original restorations failed, because replacing them without correcting the cause reproduces the same outcome. That assessment may involve the periodontist or a bite evaluation before any restorative work is planned. Bring any records you have from the original treatment if you can obtain them.