Do veneers cover the back of the tooth? The short answer is no. A veneer is a thin piece of porcelain that’s bonded to the front of the tooth. It only covers the front of the tooth and the back of the tooth is your natural tooth. This is in contrast to crowns, which is a cap that places over the whole tooth surface and leaves less of your original tooth intact.
In order for veneers to bond to teeth effectively the front of the tooth is ground down so it has a rough texture. This helps with the bonding process and ensures the veneer stays on for decades.
While the back of the tooth isn’t covered with veneers, it makes no aesthetic difference because it isn’t possible to tell from the outside whether a tooth is covered by a veneer.
The natural appearance of veneers is partly achieved through color matching with your pre-existing teeth.
Veneers come in three varieties, either porcelain, no-prep, or composite. Porcelain is the preferred option for most as it offers the greatest durability and appearance.
While veneers enhance your smile they are non-reversible because the natural enamel of the tooth is removed. If a veneer falls off it would need to be replaced. Veneers rarely need to be replaced, as they typically last for 20 years or longer.
