Veneers vs Crowns
Which Do You Need?
Veneers improve appearance. Crowns restore strength. Understanding the difference helps you choose correctly.
Here for a cosmetic treatment instead? Book a £40 Smile Consultation →
Key Difference
Veneers (from £695): front surface, minimal prep, cosmetic. Crowns (from £695): full coverage, structural repair.
Last updated: August 2026
Veneers vs crowns at a glance
| Veneers | Crowns | |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Cosmetic — improves the look of the front of a tooth | Structural — restores a weak, cracked or heavily filled tooth |
| Tooth preparation | Minimal — a thin front layer only | More — the tooth is reshaped all round |
| Coverage | Front surface | Whole tooth |
| Typical lifespan | 10–15 years | 10–15+ years |
| From £ | £695 | £695 (£795 for premium zirconia) |
| Best for you if | Your tooth is healthy but you want to improve its shape or colour | Your tooth is damaged or weakened and needs protecting |
Final costs and the right option for you are confirmed at your consultation. Lifespans are typical ranges and vary with home care and habits such as grinding.
Consultation from £75
Final cost confirmed at your New Patient Exam. 0% finance available.
Clinical Evidence & References
- Sailer I et al. (2015). "All-ceramic tooth-supported fixed prostheses." Dental Materials, 31(6), 603-623.
- NHS UK — Crowns and veneers comparison
- British Dental Association — Crown and veneer guidance
What Happens at Your New Patient Exam
For cosmetic treatments only: Invisalign / clear aligners, composite bonding, veneers, dental implants and teeth whitening. New Patient Exam pricing applies when booked online via this website. For emergency or general dental appointments, please call 01282 965286.
Porcelain and Composite Veneers for Our Patients
Dental veneers are one of the most effective ways to transform your smile. Whether you are looking to correct discolouration, chips, gaps, worn edges or misshapen teeth, veneers can provide a natural, long-lasting result that looks and feels like your own teeth. At Station House Dental Care, we offer both porcelain and composite veneers for patients across the local area, with treatment planned and delivered by our experienced cosmetic dentists.
Veneer treatment typically involves two to three appointments over two to four weeks, making the journey straightforward for our patients.
Porcelain Veneers vs Composite Veneers
Porcelain veneers are thin shells of dental porcelain, custom-crafted in a laboratory and bonded permanently to the front surfaces of your teeth. They are exceptionally strong, stain-resistant and natural-looking, with a translucency that closely mimics real tooth enamel. Porcelain veneers typically last 10 to 15 years with good care. The process involves a small amount of enamel removal from the front of each tooth (usually 0.3 to 0.5mm), impressions, and a second appointment for fitting once the veneers have been fabricated.
Composite veneers (also known as composite bonding) are sculpted directly onto your teeth in a single appointment using tooth-coloured composite resin. They require minimal or no enamel removal, are fully reversible, and offer an excellent result at a lower cost than porcelain. Composite veneers typically last 5 to 7 years before requiring a refresh. Our award-winning clinician Dr Jarmima Uddin — winner of the BACD Best Overall Case 2024 — has a special interest in composite veneer and bonding cases.
Veneer Costs for Our Patients
Porcelain and composite veneers at Station House Dental Care cost from £695 per tooth. Composite bonding is available from £350 per tooth, with a bonding refresh from £100. We offer 0% interest-free finance on treatment plans, allowing you to spread the cost into monthly payments. Most patients choose to veneer between 4 and 8 teeth for a balanced, symmetrical result — our dentist will advise on the optimal number during your consultation.
Visit our treatment prices page for a complete breakdown. For patients considering veneers, we recommend booking a consultation where our dentist will examine your teeth, discuss your goals, and recommend whether porcelain or composite is the better option for your specific case.
What to Expect During Treatment
For porcelain veneers, the first appointment involves gentle preparation of the teeth, digital impressions, and shade selection. Temporary veneers are placed while your permanent veneers are crafted in the laboratory. At the second appointment, the temporaries are removed and your porcelain veneers are bonded into place using a strong adhesive cement. The result is immediate — you leave with a transformed smile.
For composite veneers, the entire treatment is completed in a single appointment. The dentist applies layers of composite resin directly to each tooth, sculpting and shaping by hand, then curing each layer with a UV light. The process takes around 45 to 60 minutes per tooth and requires no impressions, no temporary restorations and no second visit. Patients from Barnoldswick and Colne particularly value the convenience of a single-visit transformation.