Composite Veneers in Wilmslow
A complete smile changes in a single appointment, usually without drilling. Your own teeth stay intact underneath, and porcelain remains an option later if you ever want it.
Composite veneers are made from tooth coloured resin applied and sculpted directly onto the front surface of the teeth in a single appointment, changing their shape, shade and proportion. They cost considerably less than porcelain, usually require no drilling, and are reversible. At Croft Dental on Manchester Road in Wilmslow, composite veneers start from £395 per tooth against £750 for porcelain, and are placed by Dr Natasja Kashyap, who holds an MSc in Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics. Composite veneers typically last five to seven years compared with ten to fifteen for porcelain, and can be replaced with porcelain later since the natural tooth remains intact.
So, what if porcelain is out of reach?
That is the position a lot of people are quietly in when they start looking at veneers.
They have worked out roughly what they want. They have seen the porcelain prices. And they have arrived at the uncomfortable sum where six veneers is the same money as a decent second-hand car, and decided the whole idea is probably off the table.
It usually is not.
Composite veneers deliver a comprehensive smile change for considerably less. Tooth coloured resin is applied across the entire front surface of each tooth and sculpted by hand, changing its shape, width, length and colour. It goes on in layers, is shaped while soft, hardened with a curing light, then trimmed, contoured and polished.
All of it happens in the chair while you sit there, which is why a full set is usually completed in one appointment.
And because nothing is drilled in most cases, nothing is permanent. Your own teeth stay intact underneath. If in seven years you decide you would rather have porcelain, that option is still open to you in a way it never is once teeth have been prepared.
Composite is not porcelain and this page will not pretend otherwise. It stains more readily and it lasts around half as long. But for a great many patients it is the sensible answer rather than the compromise, and the results can be genuinely excellent.
Composite veneers or composite bonding?
Worth clearing up, since the two are frequently confused and we offer both.
The material and technique are identical. The difference is coverage and purpose.
Bonding usually treats part of a tooth to fix a specific problem, such as rebuilding a chipped corner or closing a gap. Typically one to four teeth.
Composite veneers cover the whole visible face of the tooth to change its appearance entirely, usually across the front six or eight teeth as a set.
If you want a chip repaired, that is bonding. If you want your smile to look different, that is composite veneers.
Your options for a full smile change
This is the decision most patients are actually trying to make, so here it is plainly.
Composite veneers
- Cost considerably less, at £395 per tooth against £750 for porcelain
- Usually require no drilling, so the natural tooth stays intact
- Reversible, since nothing permanent is removed
- Completed in a single appointment
- Typically last five to seven years
- Stain over time, particularly with coffee, tea, red wine and smoking
- Can chip, though repairs are straightforward
- Made by the dentist in the surgery
Porcelain veneers
- Cost more
- Require permanent preparation of the tooth surface
- Not reversible
- Take two to three appointments over four to six weeks
- Typically last ten to fifteen years or longer
- Resist staining far better
- Stronger, though a fracture usually means replacement
- Made by a dental technician in a laboratory
Which to choose
Composite makes sense if budget matters, if you want to try a new smile shape without committing permanently, if you are younger and would rather not have teeth prepared yet, or if you want the result finished in one visit.
Porcelain makes sense if you want the longest lasting result, if staining concerns you, if the change required is substantial, or if you would rather pay once and not revisit it for fifteen years.
Neither is better. They suit different people and different budgets, and Dr Natasja will tell you which she would recommend for your case and why.
What composite veneers can address
- Uneven shape or proportion: teeth that are too short, too narrow, or noticeably different from each other are rebuilt to a consistent, balanced shape.
- Gaps and spacing: spaces are closed by widening the teeth across the set, so the result looks even rather than one tooth doing all the work.
- Discolouration: teeth that have not responded to whitening, or that are unevenly coloured, are covered entirely.
- Worn edges: where the biting edges have worn down over years, composite restores length and proportion.
- Mild crowding or rotation: slight irregularity can be disguised. There are limits, and significant crowding is better treated with Invisalign first.
- A whole smile changes on a budget: the most common reason patients choose composite veneers, delivering a comprehensive change for considerably less than porcelain.
What composite veneers cannot do
- Straighten severely misaligned teeth
- Correct an underlying bite problem
- Lighten after placement, since composite does not respond to whitening gel
- Match porcelain for long term stain resistance or decade-plus longevity
Am I a suitable candidate?
Composite veneers suit a broad range of patients because the treatment is minimally invasive.
Usually suitable if you
- Want to change the shape, shade or proportion of your front teeth
- Have healthy teeth and gums, or issues that can be treated first
- Prefer a reversible option
- Want the result completed in one appointment
- Are working to a budget that does not stretch to porcelain
We will need to assess further if you
- Grind or clench your teeth, since composite chips under heavy force and a nightguard would be recommended
- Have a heavy or edge to edge bite, which places extra load on the veneer edges
- Smoke, or drink a lot of coffee, tea or red wine, since these stain composite noticeably faster than porcelain
- Have significantly crooked teeth, where alignment with Invisalign first would give a substantially better result
- Have active decay or gum disease, which must be treated beforehand
If you are planning to whiten
Whiten first, always. Composite does not lighten with whitening gel, so veneers placed beforehand will no longer match once your natural teeth are whitened. We sequence this correctly as a matter of course.
An honest conversation about staining
Composite stains. Not immediately, and not dramatically, but over several years it will lose some of its brightness, particularly around the margins and particularly if you smoke or drink a lot of coffee.
Regular hygiene appointments and professional polishing manage it well, and the difference a polish makes is considerable.
But if pristine brightness over ten years is what you are after, porcelain is the honest answer and we would rather say so now.
- Real Patient Results
Thousands of Smiles Transformed
Be our Next Success Story!
All photographs show patients treated at Croft Dental and are published with their consent. Results shown are individual results.
Your treatment journey
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1Step one: your consultationAround 45 minutes. Dr Natasja examines your teeth, gums and bite, and asks what you want to change. Photographs and digital scans are taken.
She will tell you whether composite veneers suit your case, how many teeth would be involved, and whether porcelain or alignment would serve you better. -
2Step two: designFor a full set, the intended result is designed before treatment. Shape, length, width, proportion and shade are agreed with you in advance rather than decided in the chair.
You see the design and can request changes. -
3Step three: your written planNumber of teeth, cost per tooth, total cost, appointment time required and finance options. Nothing proceeds until you have agreed.
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4Step four: any preparatory treatmentDecay, gum disease and bite problems are treated first. Whitening is completed beforehand where planned, so the composite matches your final tooth shade. Where alignment is recommended, Invisalign is completed before veneers are placed.
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5Step five: the appointmentThe tooth surfaces are cleaned and lightly etched so the composite adheres. In most cases nothing is drilled and no injection is required.
Composite is applied in layers across each tooth, sculpted while soft, and hardened with a curing light. Each tooth is then trimmed, contoured and polished.
A full set of six typically takes three to four hours. Eight teeth takes longer. This is a long appointment and worth allowing for. -
6Step six: bite check and refinementYour bite is checked and adjusted so the veneer edges are not taking excessive force. Final polishing brings up the surface finish.
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7Step seven: review and aftercareA short review appointment follows. We will explain how to care for them and whether a nightguard is recommended.
How long composite veneers last
Composite veneers typically last five to seven years before they need refreshing or replacing.
We would rather tell you that clearly than have you discover it in year four. Composite is an excellent material and it delivers results a great many patients are delighted with, but it is not porcelain and it does not last like porcelain.
What shortens their life:
- Grinding or clenching, which chips the edges
- Habits including biting nails, chewing pens and opening packaging with your teeth
- Smoking, which stains composite considerably faster than enamel
- Diet, particularly high consumption of coffee, tea, red wine and curry
- Poor cleaning, which allows staining at the margins
Looking after them
Brush twice daily and clean between the teeth as normal. Rinse with water after coffee, tea or red wine. Attend regular hygiene appointments, since professional polishing restores the surface finish and makes a noticeable difference. Wear a nightguard if you grind.
Maintenance and repair
Composite veneers can be polished to restore their appearance, repaired if they chip, and replaced when they have served their time. Because the natural tooth underneath is intact, replacement is straightforward and you retain the option of switching to porcelain later.
A realistic expectation
Think of composite veneers as a five to seven year commitment with occasional maintenance, rather than a permanent solution. Budget for eventual replacement in the same way you would for anything with a finite lifespan.
Pricing and fees
Treatment | From |
Consultation | Free |
Composite veneer, per tooth | £395 |
Four composite veneers | £1,580 |
Six composite veneers | £2,370 |
Porcelain veneer, per tooth, for comparison | £750 |
Composite bonding, per tooth | £325 |
Repair or polish of existing composite | £[X] |
Nightguard, where recommended | £[X] |
Composite veneers are priced per tooth. Most cases involve the front six or eight upper teeth.
A full set of six composite veneers costs around half what the same number in porcelain would, which is the main reason patients choose it.
You receive a full written quote before anything begins.
Where to find us
Croft Dental sits at 64 Manchester Road, on the Handforth side of Wilmslow town centre. Coming up from The Carrs, we are north east along Manchester Road. If you reach Handforth Dean, you have gone too far.
We are around ten minutes on foot from Wilmslow station, five minutes from Handforth, and roughly ten minutes from Alderley Edge up the A34.
Patients come to us for composite veneers from Alderley Edge, Handforth, Styal, Prestbury, Knutsford, Macclesfield, Poynton, Bramhall, Cheadle, Hale and Altrincham.
Because treatment is usually completed in a single appointment, composite veneers suit patients travelling a distance particularly well. Allow three to four hours for a full set and plan the day accordingly.
Not sure where to start? Give us a ring.
- DENTIST
Meet your cosmetic dentist
Dr Natasja Kashyap
BDS · MSc Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics · MFDS RCS Edinburgh · Platinum Invisalign Provider · GDC 150054
Dr Natasja leads cosmetic dentistry at Croft Dental. Her postgraduate training in Prosthodontics covers the design and construction of veneers and restorations, giving her composite work a technical grounding beyond appearance alone.
Composite veneers are freehand sculpture that then has to survive a bite for years, and both halves matter. Done badly, the composite looks thick, flat and obviously artificial. Done well it is difficult to identify at all, and the difference lies in the layering, the translucency, the contouring and the shade matching.
Her approach is deliberately restrained. She designs results that suit your face, age and natural colouring rather than the uniform brightness that has become common, so the outcome reads as a healthy smile rather than dental work.
Because both composite and porcelain are offered here, her recommendation is based on what suits you rather than on what the practice happens to provide.
- Finance
Spread the cost of composite veneers with finance
We offer finance on cosmetic treatment through Tabeo so the cost can be spread across monthly payments. Interest-free options are available with no arrangement fees or hidden charges.
Applications take a few minutes and you will know the outcome quickly. We will show you exactly what your treatment would cost per month at your consultation.
- REGISTRATION
We're Welcoming New Patients
We warmly welcome new patients to our practice. If it’s been a while since your last visit, if dental visits make you feel anxious, if you’ve recently moved to Wilmslow, or if you’re simply seeking a team that truly listens to your concerns, you’ll find a supportive and gentle environment here with us.
During your first appointment, we take the time to conduct a complete evaluation of your teeth, gums, and overall oral health. We will listen carefully to your goals, answer any questions, and collaboratively create a treatment plan tailored specifically to you.
"I have my smile back thanks to the skill of the team here. All in all, a very happy patient."
- FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Composite veneers at Croft Dental start from £395 per tooth, so a full set of six starts from £2,370. This is around half the cost of the same number of porcelain veneers, which start from £750 per tooth. Most cases involve the front six or eight upper teeth. Patients receive a full written quote following consultation, and finance is available through Tabeo.
Composite veneers typically last five to seven years before they need refreshing or replacing, compared with ten to fifteen years for porcelain. Lifespan is affected by grinding, smoking, nail biting and consumption of staining foods and drinks. Composite can be polished to restore its appearance, repaired if it chips, and replaced when needed.
Composite veneers and composite bonding use the same material and technique. Bonding usually treats part of a tooth to address a specific problem, such as repairing a chip or closing a gap. Composite veneers cover the entire front surface of the tooth to change its shape, shade and proportion, and are usually placed across the front six or eight teeth as a set.
In most cases composite veneers do not damage the tooth, since no drilling is required. The tooth surface is lightly etched so the resin adheres, but the underlying tooth structure remains intact. This makes composite veneers reversible, unlike porcelain veneers, which require permanent preparation of the tooth surface.
Yes. Composite resin absorbs staining over time from coffee, tea, red wine, curry and tobacco, more readily than porcelain or natural enamel. Regular professional polishing at hygiene appointments restores much of the original finish. Patients concerned primarily about long term staining are often better suited to porcelain veneers.
No. Composite resin does not respond to teeth whitening gel. Any whitening should be completed before composite veneers are placed, so the composite is matched to the final shade of the natural teeth. Existing composite veneers can be polished to remove surface staining, or replaced to match newly whitened teeth.
Yes. Because composite veneers usually require no drilling, the natural tooth remains intact underneath, so patients retain the option of switching to porcelain veneers in future. This makes composite a reasonable choice for patients who want to trial a new smile shape before committing to a permanent treatment.
A full set of six composite veneers typically takes three to four hours in a single appointment, with eight teeth taking longer. The treatment is carried out entirely in the surgery rather than sent to a laboratory, which is why it can be completed in one visit. A short review appointment follows afterwards.