Porcelain Veneers
Chipped edges, stubborn stains, small gaps, they’re often not big enough to need a dentist, but noticeable enough that you think about them anyway. Porcelain veneers cover the front of your teeth with a thin, custom-made ceramic shell that corrects those imperfections in one coordinated treatment instead of several separate fixes. As part of our Cosmetic Dentistry services, veneers are one of the most requested ways patients in Lakewood and Littleton get a smile they stop noticing flaws in.
Curious what your smile could look like in six months?
Smile Fact
Enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, yet it cannot repair itself once it is lost.
What Are Porcelain Veneers?
Porcelain veneers are thin, custom-made ceramic shells bonded to the front surface of your teeth to improve their shape, color, size, or overall appearance. Because they cover the visible surface of the tooth, veneers can address several cosmetic concerns at once, including chips, discoloration, small gaps, and teeth that appear uneven or misshapen.
Porcelain is valued for its natural-looking appearance and resistance to staining, allowing veneers to blend closely with the surrounding teeth while maintaining their color over time. Each veneer is customized to complement your existing smile rather than creating a uniform or artificial-looking result.
How Veneers Work
Consultation and Smile Design.
Your veneer process starts with a consultation to go over what’s actually bothering you about your smile and what you’d want to change. Many patients also see a digital preview of their new smile before any tooth is touched, so there’s no guessing at the outcome.
Preparation.
A thin layer of enamel is gently removed from each tooth receiving a veneer, just enough to make room for the shell without weakening the tooth. Impressions are then taken and sent to a dental lab, where your veneers are custom-crafted to match your natural teeth.
Temporary Veneers.
While your permanent veneers are being made, temporary ones protect your prepared teeth and give you an early look at your new smile. This is also the point where small adjustments to shape or color can still be made.
Final Placement.
Once your custom veneers arrive, they’re bonded into place with adjustments for fit, bite, and appearance. You leave with a finished smile the same day, and follow-up care instructions keep it looking that way for years.
Benefits of Porcelain Veneers
Veneers tend to solve more than one problem at once, which is part of why patients choose them over treating each flaw separately.
Stain resistance that holds up better than natural enamel against coffee, wine, and everyday food
One coordinated treatment instead of separate fixes for color, shape, and small gaps
Less tooth structure removed compared to a crown
Can ease mild sensitivity to hot, cold, or sweet foods
A smile you stop editing around in photos and conversations
Why Emerald Dental for Veneers
Every veneer case at Emerald Dental starts with a real conversation about what you want your smile to look like, not a standard shell size applied to every patient. You’ll see a preview of the results before any tooth is touched, and the shade, shape, and size are built around your actual face rather than a generic template. Emerald Dental offers veneers at both Denver metro offices, in Lakewood under Dr. Stephanie Paswaters and in Littleton under Dr. Christina Spady-Montoya, so you get the same level of detail no matter which office you visit. Meet both doctors on our About Us page.
What Patients Are Saying
Real feedback from real patients across our Lakewood and Littleton offices.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do porcelain veneers last?
With normal care, veneers typically last a decade or more before they need replacing. Grinding your teeth, biting hard objects, or skipping regular checkups are the most common reasons veneers wear out earlier than that, so protecting them is mostly about the same habits that protect natural teeth.
Do veneers look natural, or is it obvious someone has them?
When they’re properly shade-matched and shaped to your face, veneers are built to be unnoticeable as a treatment, not just a whiter version of your smile. Porcelain has a translucent quality similar to natural enamel, which is part of why it holds up better visually than some other materials over time.
Is the veneer procedure painful?
Most patients describe the preparation step as uncomfortable at worst, not painful, since only a thin layer of enamel is removed and the area can be numbed if needed. The bonding appointment itself involves no drilling and is typically the shortest, easiest part of the whole process.
Can veneers fix misaligned or crowded teeth?
Veneers can visually correct minor misalignment and small gaps, but they’re not a substitute for orthodontic treatment if teeth are significantly crowded or rotated. During a consultation, your dentist will tell you honestly whether veneers alone will get you the result you want or whether something like clear aligners should happen first.
Will veneers stain over time?
Porcelain resists staining far better than natural tooth enamel, so everyday coffee, wine, or food is much less likely to discolor them the way it would your other teeth. That said, the cement line at the edge of a veneer can pick up staining over many years, which is one reason routine checkups matter even after treatment is finished.
Can I combine veneers with other cosmetic treatments?
Yes, and it’s common to pair veneers with whitening on the surrounding teeth or bonding on a tooth that doesn’t need a full veneer. Combining treatments lets a plan address color, shape, and small gaps together instead of tackling them as separate projects down the line.
Get the Smile You Stop Thinking About
A veneer isn’t really about the shell on your tooth, it’s about not noticing your smile in photos anymore, not habitually covering your mouth, not weighing every laugh. Most veneer cases move from consultation to finished smile in just a few visits, faster than people usually expect. Emerald Dental offers veneers at both our Lakewood and Littleton offices, and a consultation is simply a conversation about what you’d want to change.
Find Us
Two Convenient Locations
Both offices are open Monday through Thursday and accept new patients of all ages.
Lakewood
Emerald Dental Lakewood
12093-A West Alameda Pkwy, Lakewood, CO 80228
Littleton
Emerald Dental Littleton
2731 W Belleview Ave, Littleton, CO 80123